


A Language That Is Felt Instead of Heard

by Kona



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Dancing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Firsts, Parental Absence, Teenage Rage, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kona/pseuds/Kona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s still too fresh, too raw, and Inigo is glad Lucina doesn’t offer her apologies.<br/>“Would you teach me how to dance Inigo?”<br/>The request is so soft that Inigo almost misses it<br/>--<br/>In which Inigo mourns and Lucina struggles and together they attempt to make it through the next day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dull Blade

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think enough people appreciate how adorable Inigo and Lucina's support conversations were, and how much I think these two are perfection together. Also it has been years since I took a dance class and it shows in this pretty clearly. The title is a lyric from 'One Step Closer' from The Little Mermaid musical. It fits man. It really fits.

Inigo grew up loving dance. He’d heard all sorts of things from his family friends about his mother and her dancing. She was shy-just like he was. Inigo caught glimpses of her dancing for the front lines and had absorbed every minute he spent learning to dance from her. He had been young when she hadn’t come back from the war. All he had gotten from her was a ring and a tales of her beauty and a dance that he would never knew the end to.

‘What a dancer she was!’

‘Truly, she was a sight to see!’

‘You take after her in looks-Such a pretty face!’

Inigo heard it from everyone. It didn’t particularly matter. The wound was still fresh. He would take his sword and armor, slink off to the forest, and then put any thoughts of war and death out of his mind to just dance.

To dance was to forget and do what he loved. It was time spent with his mother before everything became war.

_Spin. Reach out and pull around. Leap forwards and a double step to the side-crouch and slide and then-_

He freezes midstep.

_“I’ll show you the rest when I get back, alright darling?”_

Instantly the world crumbles around him and he bursts into tears. He grabs his sword and swings wildly, hacking into whatever he can. Tree branches fall and animals chatter in the grove as they scurry away. He is blinded by tears as he swings his sword into a tree trunk. It sticks and he attempts to yank it free but his arms feel like rubber. He’s been ignoring his training in his grief. His hands slip from the grip and he slides down to the ground, hands grasping at the tree trunk. His sobs are ragged and loud.

He doesn’t know the end of the dance. He can’t pretend it’s okay without the end of it.

“Inigo?”

He swings his head up, hand reaching for his sword, still embedded in the tree. He blinks, clearing his eyes to see a head of dark blue hair. A form as regal as can be, with all the grace a 13 year old can have. He knows exactly who it is.

“Lucina-I’m sorry, but I wasn’t really expecting-”

“Anyone to find you? I figured as much,” her voice is even where his is wobbly. She makes even strides over to him, a hand at her hip, fingers wrapped around a sword hilt. She leans against the tree that Inigo crumpled in front of. Her brow furrows as she looks at the sword, “I noticed that you had been leaving camp and I was concerned. Are you well?”

Inigo’s laughter is watery. Lucina speaks so well, so eloquently that knows anything he says in response is going to seem lackluster.

“No, I suppose I’m not,” he finally decides to respond. He looks up at his sword and then to the grove he practiced in. He winced at the sight of hacked wood and scars in the growth. “What a mess I’ve made.”

Lucina hums in response, her fingers curling around the grip of his sword and with a low grunt she pries it loose. She weighs it in her hand before handing it to Inigo, “Your sword is dull. When we get back to camp you may want to sharpen it. I’m sure Owain wouldn’t mind joining you in the task.”

Inigo’s fingers tighten around the sword as he looks down the blade. When had it gone dull? How long had it been since he’d taken proper care of his gear? He couldn’t remember. He placed the sword on the ground and he knew without looking up Lucina must be grimacing, because if her parents had taught her anything it was to not place your weapon down and he had learned the lesson too-but he wasn’t in the mood to stand on proper form.

They listen to the sounds of forest for a few moments before Lucina looks around the grove, “This is where you dance, isn’t it?” When Inigo’s head snaps up she shrugs, “The ground is well trodden-as if you had spent a great deal of time here. And there are patterns in the grass. Repeated steps, I would assume?”

Inigo has to bite back a retort denying what she said, but he thinks better of it. Lucina’s mother is a genius and she is her daughter after all. He stares at the grass beneath his feet as he replies.

“No one is out here so…it’s a good place to clear my mind and dance. It’s far enough away from camp that-That I don’t have to think about-”

It’s still too fresh, too raw, and Inigo is glad Lucina doesn’t offer her apologies. With both of her parents still alive she isn’t able to feel what so many of their friends were feeling. So many of their parents were dying under her parents’ orders and plans. She knew that much. Inigo knew it wasn’t her fault. But that hadn’t stopped some of their friends from lashing out at Lucina in the past.

“Would you teach me how to dance Inigo?”

The request is so soft that Inigo almost misses it. It startles him and he stares up at his friend with wide eyes. She flushes slightly, averting her eyes. “I have taken lessons in court on how to dance with a partner but I always wanted to learn how your mother danced. I hoped to join your lessons but then we all joined the cause and…” she trails off into an uncomfortable silence.

Inigo sits there silently for a few moments, and Lucina shifts uneasily.

“If I’m overstepping my bounds, I apologize. I just thought that perhaps you might-”

“You’ll need to take off your sword belt,” Inigo interrupts her, a small smile on his face. He stands, “As well as your cape,” he runs a few fingers down the length of the cape, marveling that only a year or so ago this girl was wearing court dresses and getting ready to start accepting suitors.

When the war took a turn for the worse, she picked up the sword full time and joined her parents on the field. He knew the cape weighed her down. He could see it in her step. He can see her shoulders lift a little once she places her weapon and cape to the side. She looks at him anxiously, her face determined.

He can’t help but laugh at her. She looks at him as if they are about to spar, muscles tense and coiled for attack. He smiles honestly for the first time in days.

“You need to relax. Dancing is all about feeling the movement come to you. You can’t force it or it’ll never work.” He leads her to the middle of the grove and stands beside her, “You need to be light on your feet, like in battle.”

He places a hand on her shoulder and another around her hip and he feels her stiffen under the touch. Her eyes flicker to his but he smiles again, just the way his mother had to him when he had just started and he was unsure. He moves her frame to mimic his.

“This is a simple dance. Basic steps,” he murmurs, “Right foot goes forward.” As they step forward he lets his hands drop from her form. As he quietly teaches her the steps and hand gestures he forgets about the dance he doesn’t know the end to and focuses on the way his mother had taught him this dance. How beautiful she had looked when she showed him, and how clumsy he was when he first tried it.

They run through it until Lucina insists she can do it alone and Inigo steps back to watch her. Her attempt was better than his first attempt alone, but he can feel the tension in her body. It’s shocking to see the prodigy not excel at something right away. He clucks his tongue and Lucina stops, flushed.

“You need to let go Luci. Just let it flow from your limbs,” he explains, “Here-see?” he takes a step back and begins the simple dance, keeping time in his head. He spins and steps and moves his hands about and when he stops Lucina is staring at him with her mouth slightly agape. He coughs and she is startled out of it. She coughs in response and grimaces.

“It would appear I would need to practice more.”

Inigo smiles and closes the space between the two of them. He ruffles Lucina’s hair and as she beings to bawk he laughs.

“Well, practice makes perfect, after all.”

She smiles at him, a small thing, but still there. For a moment they stand there, smiling, before a flock of birds swoops down from above. Inigo looks to the sky, a light orange and whistles.

“It’s getting late. We should head back. People will notice we’ve gone,” Lucina straps her sword back on and dons her cape and turns to make leave. She stops and cocks her head to look back at Inigo, “Thank you, Inigo.” She whispered, before hurrying off in the direction of camp.

Inigo watches as the princess left and feels his heart clench in a way that was different from the heartache he was becoming familiar with. As he gathers his things, he finds himself smiling without forcing it. He remembers Lucina’s timid and clumsy steps and remembers his mother’s patient laugh. He reckons that this was way to heal. Learn one step at a time, just like a dance. 


	2. Like A Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when you give me too much time to think about how these kids reacted to their parents dying.

When Lucina’s parents fail to return from the front back to the barracks Inigo knows that Lucina is starting to loose hope. He can see it fall from her shoulders with every passing day. He sees it when she listens to the scouts report, her face grim as they recount loss after loss. He watches her fall apart inside as a soldier presents Falchion to her. He watches the child inside her die as she raises the sword and vows to make right what her father could not.

They all pretend to not hear her sobbing in her tent in the coming weeks. They know that they are her court. They are her Shepards. They need to stand for her and with her or else they will fail. They are young though. Hardly old enough to be in society, let alone war.

Recounts of the battles that have been fought and fate awaiting them hit Lucina hard. Inigo watches her receive the news and it takes both him and Owain to stop her from striking down the soldier where he stands. She screams and cries and they hold her close as she thrashes in their arms in grief.

They knew the Queen had fallen to the other side-become the new avatar for Grima. They all agree to not tell Morgan. Lucina sits in the strategy tent often, dark circles under her eyes. Owain and Morgan attempt to draw her out for more than a few hours a day, but fail. Her spirits are effectively crushed.

Inigo begs Laurent to search for an answer.

“You’re so damn smart Laurent, you have to find SOMETHING that can be used to help-look at her she’s killing herself!”

Laurent gives him a look that is the closest that Inigo has ever seen him to sympathy and assures him that he has been searching for the answer for their plight.

Inigo goes into the capital and sees fear and anguish. He knows that if his mother were here she could dance away their problems. One night he attempts to raise the spirits of the men and women in the tavern through a dance and has rotten fruit thrown at him in response. He slinks back to camp and throws a pail of water over his whole self to wash himself clean.

“You’ll rust your sword and armor that way, Inigo.”

He’s so surprised to hear Lucina’s voice he almost draws his sword. He relaxes and smiles brightly to their leader.

“Oh, but I’ll be out of these clothes soon enough, Lucina. Would you like to watch?” He teases and he watches as she frowns at him. He laughs weakly as he shakes his hair free of some of the water. “What can I help you with, Lucina?”

She stands there, arms crossed, and her frown grows. Inigo stands there, feeling more and more foolish and cold as the silence drags on. She finally shakes her head and makes to leave, “It’s foolish-We do not have time for it. Forgive for wasting your time. I’ll leave you to change.”

As she turns to leave he reaches out and grabs her arm. He pulls her back to him. She stumbles, not expecting to be touched. She hits his chest and instantly recoils, but Inigo is stronger than he used to be, and he holds her still. He locks eyes with the princess, his face serious. He can feel her clothing begin to absorb the water from his clothing and her mouth turns in a snarl.

“Inigo let me go this instant!” she hisses, her voice low.

“I would never consider anything you want foolish, Luci. What is it?” Inigo answers in an equally low tone. He watches as her eyes widen for a moment and the anger drops from her face. She averts her eyes and Inigo marvels at the thought of Lucina being bashful. It’s decidedly unlike her.

“Would you dance with me Inigo?”

Inigo’s grip goes slack and Lucina instantly jumps back a step. He furrows his brow and he can feel his mother’s ring on his finger, cold and crisp. It had been years since he had taught her that first dance. He had always figured that she had forgotten about it, or had only done it to raise his morale. He gulps.

“I didn’t know you still danced.”

“I don’t-I mean,” Lucina bites her bottom lip and Inigo ponders for a moment how it might feel to replace her teeth with his own, but he banishes the thought almost as soon as it forms, “I see the way you move in battle and thought perhaps it might be wise to relearn some steps to become more fluid in battle.”

Inigo straightens, still dripping water, and he smiles airly. He nods to his leader and watches as her shoulders slump in relief. Her gaze flickers to the grove outside of their camp and Inigo follows her silently into the woods. No doubt people in camp will whisper about this later-but for now Inigo is content to watch Lucina’s back as she lead them to his grove. He hadn’t been there in at least a fortnight.

“If you wanted to learn battle dances you would have asking during training, Luci,” Inigo murmurs as they enter the grove. He watches Lucina stiffen and he spins lazily to get in front of her. He studies the grimace on her face and he tilts his head, “What’s the real reason?”

Lucina’s fingers twitch around her sword and Inigo notices how she gropes around for the grip. The sword was still far too big for her. She opens her mouth to speak, closes it, and then shakes her head. It’s a few moments of struggle before she finally runs a hand through her hair and replies.

“I am tried of everyone stepping around me as if I am about to break. I am _not_ a child anymore,” Lucina huffed, “You understand, don’t you?”

Inigo thinks back to after his mother’s death-the way everyone tiptoed around him, comforting him and reminding him of the one thing he didn’t want to be reminded of. He had something to escape to. Lucina did not.

“Yes, I do.”

Lucina steps forward and raises her hands. She hesitates for a moment before reaching out and grasping the front of Inigo’s damp shirt. She tugs slightly, pulling him forward as she rests her forehead against his chest. He can feel his pulse jump up. She sighs, and he feels it’s warmth and it takes a moment for him to wrap his arms around Lucina’s shoulders.

 _I can wrap my entire arm around her._ _When did she get so small?_

He could feel the tears, hot against the chill of the night, bleed into his shirt as Lucina shuddered silently. He hummed, rocking her back and forth, as he’d seen countless mothers do in the past. He could remember his own mother rocking him softly as she sang lightly.

When Lucina finally drew in a shaky breath, Inigo pulled back slightly. He smiled, “Let me dance for you, Lucina. I can teach you the steps later.” He swiped a thumb across her cheek, chasing an errant tear away, before gently taking her hands and placing them back by her side.

He takes a few steps back, and places his sword against a tree trunk. He sucks in a deep breath and closes his eyes. In his mind’s eye he could see his mother’s smiling face, and he could hear the low thrum of the drums and high whine of a violin begin to play. He smiles, and his body moves without another thought.

He spins and flies to the music roaring in his ears, and he can hear the troops shout in joy, and he can almost make out his mother’s laughter as they dance, dance, _dance_ and by the _gods_ how he missed this feeling. His heart thunders away and his feet are burning but he feels _alive_ and as he stops, hands thrown to the sky, he lets out a long breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He looks at Lucina, staring in awe at him and slowly the music fades and the drums in his head are replaced by the sound of his pulse, and the violin fades into the sharp intakes of breath. He bows low and grins at Lucina, who still hasn’t moved. Her lips are slightly parted and he really can’t help himself so he just leans forward ever so slowly, watching her eyes as they follow him. He can smell the scent of parchment, leather, steel, and a waft of something fresh and untainted by battle.

Her lips are chapped as they touch his ever so softly. She doesn’t move. He cups her face in his hands and drinks from her lips, attempting to pull all the sadness out of her. It was only then that she responded, grabbing at the fabric on his back, seeking purchase to keep her stable. He pulls back slowly, opening his eyes to see her flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

“Do you feel like a child now, Lucina?”

Inigo isn’t sure if that was her first kiss or her tenth but she bites her lip and shakes her head. She leans her head on his chest again and he sighs, arms wrapping around her waist.

“Owain will have my head if he finds out about this,” Inigo murmurs, and Lucina snorts.

“He will not find out about this. This does not leave this spot, is that understood?”

She glares up at him and he gives her a cheeky grin.

“Yes, Milady.”

He’s glad that she cannot reach her sword because he knows he would be on the wrong end of it for his tongue. But in this moment, in this grove they don’t have to worry about that. Lucina is just a normal girl who has just lost her first kiss to a no good scoundrel of a boy. The drum of war are muffled by the sound of rustling leaves and crickets and Lucina is warm in his arms. 


	3. Lingering Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I address those who remembered that Lucina wasn't entirely sure about the whole 'Robin=Grima' equation. All is explained. I think. Also I spend too much time thinking about which couplings I should use for Inigo's father and everyone else's' parents. Life is hard I suppose.

The air in the past is fresh and even though war is on the horizon, people live on their lives in blissful ignorance to how the future will turn out. Inigo flips in between simply enjoying not being in a warzone and trying to find his mother. He isn’t sure exactly what the timeline of this land is. All the dates he knows are wrong. The conflict Plegia ended two years earlier than it did in his time. He had expected to show up in the middle of the war, only to appear as it dwindled down to the last battle.

The Exalt was dead though. That much remained the same.

Inigo wondered if maybe they were foolish for even thinking they could change the past. He prays to Naga that Lucina made at least some difference, or that Lucina even made it back to the proper time. He hadn’t found anyone he had fought with.

He tries not to think about that though. There is peace in Ylisse and Inigo will take full advantage of it. He flirts his way through the halidom over two years of peace, looking for every dancer in the kingdom. His memories of his mother are fading the older he gets and a child’s eyes are not the same as his now. He looks down at every dancer he meets, no longer shorter than his mother’s hip. It had been at least a year since he had seen his mother when she died.

He picks up their left hands and croons about how beautiful their dancing was and he looks and looks and looks for the ring that he wears on his finger but he is never that lucky. He finds many lovely dancers, and he picks up quite a few steps from them, and accumulates an array of bruises from their boyfriends and husbands.

It is only when the drums of war begin to sound again that Inigo remembers why he really came back to the past. He listens to people in taverns, who gossip about Valm and how they’re slowly moving in on the other nations. They say that the Exalt and his queen are going to send aid to Regna Ferox. They march there as we speak.

Inigo knows where this is going and he knows if he has any chance of at least seeing his mother again, he needs to go to Valm. He stows away on the next barge across the sea and begins to flirt his way through the country, trying to glean information of the war efforts thus far.

He begins to fight again and it’s close enough to dancing that he can throw himself into it without another thought. Finally though all his traveling and philandering pays off and he encounters his mother at last.

When they are away from the main group for a few moments he cries into her shoulder and thanks all the gods that he finally found her. They speak long and hard until the fire has turned into mere coals and he bids her goodnight and promises to speak to his father in the morning. As he makes his way to the supplies tent he finds himself suddenly accosted.

“Finally! Another brother in arms has been reunited with us!”

Inigo stumbles as he childhood friend runs into and engulfs him in a hug. He can’t help but laugh as he claps Owain on the back. Owain looks close to tears, but then he was always the overdramatic one of the group. Behind him he sees young Morgan, and then bubbly Cynthia and stern Laurent. He can’t help but grin at his childhood companions as they assure him that they all came rushing to the fronts when they heard that he had been found.

“Where’s Lucina?”

Inigo notices her absence keenly and Owain is about to start rambling when Morgan perks up and answers.

“Big Sis is in the weapons tent-taking care of Falchion.”

Inigo has to fight the urge to roll his eyes. He extracts himself from his friends and promises to train with them in the morning. He collects a tent to sleep in and makes his way to the weapons tent. He hears the telltale sound of a grindstone and peeks his head inside. His heart swells at the sight of Lucina.

Her hair was longer than before, the choppy haircut that they gave her to help hide her gender still juts out slightly below her neck, but she looks immaculate. She looks years older, and Inigo has to wonder how he looks now to everyone. They certainly weren’t children anymore. He watches her run the stone down her sword’s edge a few times before entering the tent fully.

“You know, a guy might think a person didn’t like him when they don’t come rushing to see him when he pops out of nowhere.”

Lucina jumps and her head shoots up to look at him. Her mouth drops open for a moment before she scowls and her brow furrows. She stands with a huff, sheathing her sword.

“Gods damn it Inigo! Don’t scare me like that!”

Inigo laughs, and sweeps a bow, “As you wish O Fearless Leader!” when he straightens he catches the tail end of Lucina rolling her eyes. He grins as he ambles over and opens his arms for a hug, “Come on, you know you want to. I’m all nice and pretty from all my fighting-you know you want a hug.”

Lucina raises an eyebrow and levels a flat glare at him for a moment. He wiggles his fingers a little and finally she sighs and walks into his embrace. His arms wrap around her and she wraps her arms around his shoulders.

“It’s good to have you back Inigo. I was getting worried that maybe you had…”

“Been killed before we got through? I thought I was dead when I woke up here. But this war is nothing compared to what we were facing at home,” he pulls back, hands on her arms, “Any words from the rest of us? Gerome? Severa? Anyone?”

Lucina shakes her head and her shoulders slump, “I don’t think we’ll find them until they are ready to be found. From the way it happens-I think Naga hid us all until our existence was proved to happen.” She smirks, “I heard Olivia talking about wanting a family after the war a week or so ago, I should have figured you would pop up.”

“I drank for your birth last year, by the way,” Inigo grins, “I won quite a bit of money thanks to knowing your birthdate.”

Lucina snorts before going back to the crate she was sitting on. She sits with more grace than a girl should sitting on a crate and she motions for Inigo to join her. “Grab a whetstone and tend to your weapon, I’m sure you haven’t taken proper care of it.”

Inigo clicks his tongue against his cheek as he pulls over another crate and grabs a stone from the pile. “You are still great at that whole subject changing skill. I was talking about _you_ Lucina,” he drew his sword and sat beside her, laying the metal across his knee. He palmed the stone and began to run it down the blade’s length slowly, “How goes your parents? They haven’t lost their touch-They certainly took care of those bandits much quicker than I could have.”

He notices the way Lucina’s shoulders stiffen and she draws her sword in a sharp twist. She frowns as she takes the stone to her sword. “They are well. Father and Mother are in good spirits and have not let the darkness get to them.”

Inigo sighs, bumping shoulders with the girl, “No, Lucina, I mean how has your relationship with them been? You’ve spent more time with them than most of us can boast, I wager.”

“You shouldn’t wager then,” Lucina mutters, “I’m their daughter and yet I’m _not_ their daughter. Their daughter is back at the castle learning to babble and walk without them there. I’m starting to see why Gerome never wanted to come back because I’m happy and yet-” Lucina cuts herself off and turns her attention to her sword before she can continue the thought.

Inigo follows suit for a few moments before he hazards speaking, “We were never sure you know. They could have been wrong. It could have been anyone,” By the way Lucina freezes beside him he knows she knows what he is talking about, “You shouldn’t think about it. This is our second chance after all.”

“You don’t get it. You’re the only version of you running around,” Lucina grits out, “Just wait until you’re born. It changes everything.”

Inigo frowns, “Lucina I’m sorry, I was just-”

“Inigo, just shut up and sharpen your sword.”

They are quiet for a long time before Inigo tips his sword up to inspect it. He whistles and moves to sheath it, standing.

“You should sleep Lucina. We march tomorrow afternoon from what I’ve heard.”

Lucina flinches and shakes her head, “I am fine. I can run on little sleep. You should know that.” She inspects Falchion before sheathing it, “I’m going to go over tactics for a while it is none of your concern.”

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should! Lucina you shouldn’t do this. The last time you did this-”

Lucina cuts him off with a tone so cold he freezes, “I almost died, I remember-yes.”

Inigo swallows hard. In the weeks following the kiss he wasn’t supposed to talk about Lucina had worked herself into a frenzy climaxing in her leading a counterattack on the Risen outside of Ylissetol. Inigo remembers Owain screaming for his mother and he turned just in time to watch the sword leave Lucina’s gut. He can’t remember how he got over there so quickly, or how the battle ended, but he remembers taking shifts with Owain and Morgan of watching over Lucina as she healed.

_“She was exhausted. She needs sleep and nourishment.”_

Lissa had scolded them for hours for not looking out for her better while she had been on the front lines. Inigo felt stupid for not having noticed how bad it had been. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.

“We need you still Lucina,” Inigo’s voice was soft, “Your family, all the people we heard stories about, our friends-you can’t just go and act like you can throw yourself away.”

Lucina stands, the look in her eyes anguished, and Inigo knows his prayers have fallen on deaf ears, “But don’t you see? I’ve failed! Emmeryn is still dead and we still march forward to Valm without a prayer to stop what is to come!” She balled her hands into fists and covered her face, “All I had to do was stop Emmeryn from dying and I couldn’t even do that!”

Inigo throws his hands in the air and grits his teeth, “What made us so sure that she was the key to this whole thing being averted? Why was she the goal? She was fated to die-that’s the only explanation for this. If she didn’t die you wouldn’t have been born.”

“We don’t know that for sure. But I’ve failed in almost every task I was supposed to complete. I wasn’t supposed to tell my parents who I was and I failed. I couldn’t save my aunt from dying, and I couldn’t stop this war from starting.”

Inigo grabs Lucina’s wrists and pulls them from her face, staring into her eyes, “You are just one girl Lucina. You can’t carry the world. You don’t have to anymore.”

Lucina flinches and hangs her head, “I have nightmares. I cannot rest,” she bites her lip and shakes her head, “No matter what I do I cannot fight the dreams.”

Inigo knows what she is talking about. She means the dreams where the smell of blood and burnt flesh lingers in your nose and the taste of metal taints your tongue and your limbs feel like lead. Dreams where everyone you’ve ever cared for is cut down.

“Would sleeping with me help?” Inigo teases, but the moment it leaves his lips he regrets it because Lucina tenses, grabbing her wrists back and scowls at him. He smiles bitterly at the girl and shrugs ever so slightly, “It was just a thought.”

“No thank you, Inigo. You should probably retire. We leave tomorrow, after all,” Lucina mutters, stalking past him to leave. Inigo waits until she leaves the tent before peeking out to watch her make way to a smaller tent in the mass of the camp. He sighs, collecting the tent he took and made way to set up camp for himself.

He catches sight of Chrom making his way over the tents and watches as he hails Lucina to wait. He watches at the prince places a kiss on her forehead before disappearing into the tent she was standing next to. He marvels at the small smile on Lucina’s lips and he feels his heart pound in a way it hadn’t for some time-not since the earth was dead and the hope dying. Not since he was a scoundrel stealing kisses from princesses. He had forgotten what it felt like-this feeling so similar to embarrassment it could almost pass as it.

He didn’t have a name for it yet-but he knew the only way to it was to smile and so as he set up camp he smiled and thought of a pair of lips curled upward. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to find a way to link this badboy around to Inigo and Lucina's support conversations and by golly it took me a little while but I got there and I will be riding that sucker into town. Now I get to use actual canon conversations to help me bring this home. That is such a good feeling.


	4. Put Your Faults to Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's flip the perspective here, shall we? I figure it's high time we do so, don't you? Certainly. This is a sort of lead in since I need to go through and reread some support conversations between the kids. But I really wanted to give Lucina a little time, since I gave Inigo plenty of time. We'll see if it continues onto the next chapter.

Lucina was not one for frivolity. Even at her most laid back she did not allow for many worldly pleasures. Spending time with her mother and younger brother were the most she allowed for herself. There was not time to relax. The time may come, but now was not that time. She suspected that was why Inigo frustrated her so much.

With his constant smile and his flirting she couldn’t decide which of the two made her more frustrated. She watches him spar and trade insults with Owain and feels something akin to jealousy flair up in her chest. How was it that they could be so light in such an important time? The conflict with Valm was almost settled-and she knew what she was going to have to do after that.

_They don’t know that though, do they? Stop trying to force your problems onto them, you fool._

_“We were never sure you know. They could have been wrong. It could have been anyone. You shouldn’t think about it. This is our second chance after all.”_

Inigo’s words weigh on her and she wants to heed them but the sword on her hip is too heavy to ignore. Her grandfather’s influence lingers in her thoughts. She has turned the options over in her head too many times to even count. She catches Inigo’s eyes and he sends her a cheery grin and she scowls immediately. Something flutters in her chest at his smile and she stands and makes way to the weapons tent instead of watching the sparring in the morning.

“Hey, Lucina!”

Inigo calls after her and she stops and turns. He beams down to her and points towards the nearest village, “Me and few of the rest of us were going to go into town and see what we can scrounge up for food and comforts. Want to join us?”

“No, I’m sorry Inigo, I’ve got a strategy meeting in an hour’s time,” Lucina doesn’t add that she isn’t expected to go to the meeting. She watches as Inigo’s face falls slightly and he scratches the back of his head.

“Oh, well…Do you want me to look for anything for you? Since you’ve got to do business things?”

Lucina blinks, startled by his generosity. She hadn’t remembered him being this way in the future-but then most of them had changed since coming back to the past. They were happier, hopeful. He stares down at her, and she can tell he isn’t lying. She searches her mind for something she may want but then squashes the thought before it can go anywhere. It was always better not to get your hopes up.

“No. Thank you though, Inigo. I’m fine.”

Inigo frowns and his eyes flicker about her face for a few moments, “Are you sure? You’re really okay?”

Lucina feels her stomach roll, but she stands tall and nods, “Yes. I’m fine, truly. You had better hurry up Inigo-Or they’ll leave you behind.”

He lingers for a moment, but the sound of Owain’s loud exclamations draws him back to the group. He shakes his head and waves as he backs away, “Ah well, looks I’ll have to find some other girl to accompany me around town. See you soon Lucina!”

As the group walks away Lucina has to fight the urge to call out to them to wait. She instead turns back around on her heel to go back towards her tent to prep for the meeting. She mulls over Inigo’s parting words and why they seemed to bother her.

“He has always been a flirt. You have known that for a long time,” she reasons with herself, sitting in her tent with a frown on her face, “He’s just being himself.”

_Find some other girl-_

Lucina shook her head, attempting to banish the dancing boy from her mind. She did not have the time to be getting distracted from the war. Especially not over someone like Inigo.

“Lucina, I told you that you didn’t have to be here for this meeting, didn’t I?”

Robin’s face is concerned as she stares over the map table towards her daughter. Chrom’s eyes flicker to Lucina’s face as well and Lucina shakes her head.

“You did, but I would rather like to help out whenever I can,” she explains, a small smile on her lips. Robin looks like she is ready to protest but Chrom shakes his head and her mouth shuts. The look that her mother gives her though tells her that she is going to have word with later. She feels ashamed of herself and her thoughts only make her feel worse.

_You should have just gone with them. You’re parents don’t want you treading underfoot._

By the end of the meeting, when Frederick and Chrom leave, Lucina is feeling so terrible about having come to the meeting that she almost blurts it out to her mother. But Robin stops her before she even starts.

“Your younger brother went into town today with everyone. I thought that you would be joining them, Lucina,” Robin smiles at her, “Are these meetings really that interesting? They’re more up Morgan’s alley, you know.”

“I just thought it might be prudent to know what is going on on the fronts,” Lucina muttered, averting her gaze.

“Oh Lucina,” Robin took Lucina’s face in her hands to make her daughter look at her. Lucina’s hearts swells at the gentle look on her face, “You should enjoy yourself sweetheart. You’re only young once. Let your father and I worry about the war. That is our job. Your job is to live.”

Lucina flushes and nods mutely to her mother. Robin’s smile grows and she places a kiss on Lucina’s forehead before she leaves to rejoin Chrom outside the tent. Lucina stands in the tent alone, feeling as though she has been scolded even though she knows that her mother is just looking out for her.

She sits around the fire pit for an hour after the meeting before dinner, sharpening a knife she hadn’t used in months. She hears the sound of laughter and bantering and looks up to see her comrades and friends approaching camp again. She feels a pinch of guilt when she realizes even Gerome had gone with them. She attempts to make herself scare but is foiled by her brother.

“Lucina! Lucina wait until you see what I got!”

He runs up to her, a bright smile on his face, his cheeks rosy. He pulls a new book out of his bag, displaying it proudly, “’Tactics of the Hero King’! This book is full of stories straight from his tactician! I’m going to go show it to Mother right away!”

Lucina smiles down at her younger brother, unable to fight his enthusiasm, “That’s great Morgan. It certainly looks like an interesting find. So I wager you had a good time in town?”

“Oh yeah, it was great! You should have been there Sis! Inigo got slapped!”

Lucina frowned, glancing around the group, “He did? Is he in trouble? I don’t see him with the group…”

“Oh no, he’s fine-I think he’s just embarrassed is all. He didn’t know the girl he was hitting on had a fiancée,” Morgan shrugs but then perks up, “Oh! That’s right, he gave this to me to give to you when we got back,” he rifles through his bag for a few moments before producing a small bag. He passes it onto his sister and then bounces on his feet for a few moments, “He wanted to give them to you himself but he said you would get mad if you saw he had gotten slapped. Listen Sis, I’m gonna go show this to Mother-Bye!”

Lucina barely has time to bid her brother goodbye before he is gone. She looks down at the bag in her hands for a moment before slowly pulling on the strings to open it. Nestled inside are a clutch of assorted sweets she hadn’t eaten since she was young. She remembers fighting over them with other children and getting scolded by Aunt Lissa for not sharing. It had been years since she had thought about eating sweets.

_“Oh, well…Do you want me to look for anything for you? Since you’ve got to do business things?”_

She had told him not to worry about her. He had seemed like he wasn’t going to. Had seemed as though he was ready to move onto another woman. She reaches into the bag and pulls out a chocolate and puts it in her mouth. The sweetness spreads across her tongue and she can’t fight the smile that comes to her face. It tastes like childhood and happiness.

She holds the bag close to her chest and looks over the horizon to see if Inigo had come back after all, but he was nowhere in sight. As the chocolate melted in her mouth she ran to her tent to stow the sweets away, lest she be seen standing around smiling like a fool. _It’s only fair to share them with him. He must have spent most of his money on this. Sweets are rare._ She savors the taste as it fades in her mouth, smiling still in the safety of her tent. She remembers her mother’s instructions to enjoy herself and as she goes out to join the rest of the company for dinner she feels lighter than she has in quite a long time.

She catches sight of Inigo stealing away with a bowl of the stew they are serving and he smiles at her as he leaves. She smiles back and she watches as his eyes widen and something passes over his face that she cannot identify. He’s gone before she can name the expression, but her heart is pounding in her chest and she isn’t sure why. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found that the song "King" by Lauren Aquilina really suits Lucina well. I took a lyric from it for the chapter title. But in any case, I just want to flesh out their relationship because support conversations only give a person so much. Also I wanted to write Robin being a good mother because she really is. Didn't describe her much since everyone has her designed differently and I wouldn't force my version of her onto you.


	5. Flaws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took too long to write. I'm sorry. College is hard.

The war effort takes time and marching is a process. Inigo complains of saddle sores, and Cynthia sweeps low in the air at times, spouting rhymes at Owain who counters with speeches that make little to no sense. Laurent has his nose buried in a book, and Brady just stares at his saddle, looking uncomfortable. Lucina barely has the patience to keep up with them.

She’s thankful that Severa is silent save for a few complaints, and that Morgan has chosen to ride ahead to their parents to run over battle tactics. Yarne is nowhere to be seen but she knows he is somewhere. Nah flies in the sky above them with Gerome. Noire and Kjelle bring up the rear of the group quietly.

Lucina feels like she is in charge of a pack of small children. Her father suggested she ride with her fellows, a smile on his face. ‘It’s good practice to ride with your men. They are your Shepherds, after all.’ He had said. Lucina had agreed, since they were people she trusted implicitly. However-

They have been marching for a little over half the day and her patience has worn thin. She wasn’t sure she could handle Cynthia trying to rhyme ‘Shepherds’ much longer. Nor Owain’s posturing over their magnificence.

She was forever grateful for her brother riding back to tell her that they were setting up camp over the ridge. From the whoops behind her she knew everyone else felt the same way. While she was looking towards the ridge for the spot they were heading, she failed to notice Inigo sidling up next to her.

“Glad we’re done for the day. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. I’m this close to punching Owain in the face,” he mutters, startling Lucina out of her thoughts, “Valm is much larger than I ever thought it could be.”

“It is a completely different continent, Inigo, no doubt it would be bigger.”

Inigo shrugs, looking ahead to the front of their party and whistles.

“You ever thought we’d get this far? I mean, this is so much more than I thought I’d be getting myself into here.”

Lucina glances at the boy and notices that his jaw is set in a strange way. It takes a moment to realize that he isn’t smiling and her stomach knots up. She isn’t sure why it makes her uncomfortable, but it does, nonetheless.

“My goal is still far away. We need to stop the Fell Dragon from coming back. Grima _cannot_ return. I can’t let it.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t what I was asking but…” Inigo trails off with a sigh, “You’re far too serious for such a nice day on the road. Look at the sky! It’s so clear and blue-You would never see a sky like that in the future.”

Lucina casts her eyes upward and realizes he is right. The sun shines and the few clouds there are drift lazily in the sky. She had almost forgotten how horrid the smog got in the future, having had soaked in the pure air and sun in the past. The way Inigo’s eyes light up as he stares at the sky remind her that this boy has seen his share of evil in the world.

“Lucina, can I ask some advice from you? Before we set up camp?”

Lucina nods and watches as Inigo shifts in his saddle, wincing a little as he moved his leg. He frowns for a moment before speaking at last.

“I got into a fight with my father. I know I shouldn’t have snapped but…” Inigo sighs, “I stormed off without apologizing. Any ideas?”

Lucina frowns now, furrowing her brow, “As in what to say?”

“Yeah. I mean, you and your father get along really well, right? As far as I can see, you guys have the best relationship.”

_“You're my daughter and my friend. You will always have a place at my side.”_

Lucina feels her heart clench a little bit at the assessment, feeling guilty for having even made people think that she may be distracted from her work. Morgan would argue that spending time together was fine and that to think otherwise was silly, but _duty_ still lingered in her thoughts.

“I’m sure that isn’t true. We train together and fight together. It isn’t as if we are extremely close. I’m sure you would have better luck asking Laurent or Brady.”

Inigo snorts, “What, and have Laurent bore me half to death with some theory? I’m not in the napping mood,” Lucina was about to defend their mage but Inigo waves her off, “Besides, Brady barely knows how to act right around _us_ , let alone his father. I’m asking _you_ for advice Lucina, do you have any?”

Lucina feels the strange tightening in her chest once more and she has to ponder the thought before she speaks. She hasn’t the foggiest idea of what to say. Inigo’s father has always been a strange man, and while she has always respected his magical prowess, she had never been very good at conversing with him. She had always figured that he was the source of Inigo’s ability to keep a constant smile.

“Tell him the truth. That’s always the best course, is it not? Let him know that you are sorry and that you will strive not to do whatever it was you did again,” Lucina pauses for a moment and then frowns, “What _did_ you do, Inigo? Your father is not a easily angered man.”

Inigo winces, and Lucina feels her frown deepen as the soldier shrugged. “Ah well…A touch of a sword on the thigh was all. Father didn’t really appreciate my response over the whole issue.”

Lucina’s chest tightens and it takes her a moment to rack her brain to think if Inigo had been injured in their last skirmish. She couldn’t place why her blood seemed to chill at the thought.

“When…When was this?”

“The Risen band we defeated four days past. Owain wasn’t watching his back so I did it for him. I didn’t step out of the way fast enough. Brady fixed it up alright though!” Inigo pats his thigh in emphasis but Lucina catches the way the muscles stiffen in protest.

She is about to say something as the call comes from the front of the party that they’ve reached camp. She turns to Inigo, determined to get the last word in, but he has already slipped away, his horse breaking off to go and set up his tent. She frowns, but can not pursue him, as Frederick calls to her from the front to help set up the weapons tent. She watches as her friends scatter throughout the burgeoning camp, and goes to help the knight with the tent.

The wary knight gave her a smile as her horse trotted forward, “You look as though you have had a rough time about it, Lucina.”

Lucina spares the man a smile, “I’m starting to see why you’re always so frayed after a long march. It is exhausting to keep track of all your men and stay sane.”

The knight offered a laugh and held her horse as she dismounted, “Yes well, your father is fond of large groups. We seem to take in strays every time we leave another settlement. He seems to have a way about him that inspires people to follow him,” he throws her a glance as he unwinds a tethering rope, “You have the same quality in you, m’lady.”

Lucina feels her cheeks warm at the compliment, “Frederick…thank you. That means a great deal coming from you.” She takes one of the hammers and a few stakes and follows the man around the area the tent was to be erected, helping as she went. It was a few moments before she spoke again.

“Frederick, may I speak candidly?”

“Of course, m’lady.”

“Do you suppose…that I have overstepped my bounds as a daughter? My parents…you don’t suppose that I have angered them in any way?” She speaks quietly, hardly loud enough for the man to hear her. He turns nonetheless, a gentle look on his face.

“Whatever gives you cause to think that? Your parents are nothing but proud of you. I have heard them speak in nothing but kind terms about you,” Frederick answers, a hand falling on Lucina’s shoulder, “You have nothing to fear.”

Lucina squirms under the praise, and thinks about Inigo’s sad eyes as he talked about arguing with his father. She thinks on Gerome and Severa, both so distant from their parents. _Do I even deserve to have them think of me so well? When it is my fault that they now entertain a host of children from the future who cannot fit in?_

“You should not dwell on it. Truly. Thank you for helping me, you should consider staking up your tent before the sun sets.”

Frederick gives Lucina’s shoulder a slight squeeze before letting her go. Feeling less at ease than when she asked the question that started this, Lucina led her horse to the line of steeds, tying him up next to her father’s mount. She grabs her saddlebags and heads toward the row of tents being erected by various members of the Shepherds.

Lucina watches as Severa grabs a mallet away from Noire with a sharp sigh and finished setting up their shared tent with a pointed look to the shrinking girl. Owain was working with gusto at setting up the tent that he would share with Inigo. At the thought of Inigo-Lucina felt as though the sweets resting in her saddlebags grow heavy. She had yet to bring up the candies, despite him having given them to her more than two weeks previous. She still meant to share them. The opportunity simply hadn’t arisen yet.

“Luci-Hey! Come on, you can set up your tent next to ours!” Lucina’s head shoot up as Cynthia waves enthusiastically towards the tent her and Kjelle were finishing, “We saved you a spot by us so you wouldn’t have to deal with Owain’s snoring.”

“Many thanks then,” Lucina smiles at the two girls, resting her saddlebags on the ground. She takes her tent from the bag and begins to set the bottom as Cynthia chatters about their forward progress into Valm.

“You know, I always thought Valm was a wasteland from what our parents used to say in the future, but this? It’s really pretty out here! Like-I don’t get why they said it was so bad?”

Kjelle hands Lucina a mallet she answers, “Well, there was a rather extensive war going on when they were corresponding with us. They certainly wouldn’t have given us a favorable review of the land, that’s for sure.”

Lucina nods as she hammers the stakes of her tent down, “It’s true, that was a much longer war than this one. Thanks to the help from Plegia, we’ve gotten a much stronger campaign.”

“I still do not trust their aid. Those snakes in the grass have no honor. I suspect foul play.”

            Cynthia huffs at this, shoving Kjelle slightly. Lucina silently agrees, and yet- _I can’t go and say anything to them. I can’t get them involved._ She finishes staking up her tent and hands the mallet back to Kjelle, “As it may be, they’ve given us aide. Therefore we’ll just have to glad they gave us the ships to get here.”

“Didn’t we burn most of those ships?” Cynthia quips, spinning her lance around. “I mean, it worked out, but that’s still sorta of rude of us, huh?”

“Well, well, well, what are you lovely ladies up to?”

Lucina looks up from her saddlebags to see Inigo ambling up the tent line. He has his own saddle bags draped across his shoulders. His smile is easy as he waves to them. He stops in front of the girls, leaning forward towards Lucina’s tent.

“Oh? Look at that, someone works fast. Owain needs my help to tell his front from back when it comes to this. Bravo Lucina.”

Lucina feels her cheeks flush and her eyes flicker to her saddlebags, “It’s nothing that warrants praise. It’s just a tent Inigo.”

“Tsk, it’s more than that! This is a life skill that most take for granted,” Inigo’s grin hold sure as he leans back again, “You are far handier than you believe.”

Before Lucina can think to reply Cynthia is giggling and shoving Inigo backwards. Kjelle rolls her eyes as she goes back to her own tent.

“You’re just trying to get Luci to do your work for you!”

Inigo laughs, and Lucina feels something tighten in her chest. He waves a hand at Cynthia and winks, “Can you blame a man for trying to get the attention of a beautiful and accomplished woman?”

“Maybe if you didn’t do it to every girl in camp,” Kjelle mutters and her mallet comes down on the last stake of her tent, “There. We’re done Cynthia-go on and grab our saddlebags, would you?”

“I’ll have ‘em lickity split! Come on Inigo, I’ll bring you to Owain!” Cynthia chirps, grabbing Inigo by his shirt and tugging him away. Lucina watches him go with unease.

“Are you alright, Lucina?”

Lucina turns to Kjelle, and shakes her head, “Honestly? I am turned around a bit by my own feelings. I just need to sort it out in my head.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk, I am an open ear,” Kjelle’s offer is quiet and sincere and Lucina smiles at her friend. She knows that she won’t end up talking to her, but still-

“Many thanks, Kjelle,” Lucina whispers, taking her saddlebag in her arms and opening her tent, “I’ll see you at dinner,” she disappeared into her tent. Her shoulders slump and she drops her saddlebags to the ground. She unrolls her blanket and her thin padding for the ground and spreads them. She reaches into her bag and pulls the small bags of sweets from it. The bag is crumpled up now, from the jostling of the hard rides, but the sweets inside are still unharmed.

Outside her tent, Lucina hears Inigo and Owain arguing over who is sleeping where in the tent. She hears Severa berating Yarne and Noire trying to defend the poor boy. She listens more and the sound of her younger brother calling everyone for dinner echoes. For the first time in a long while, the appeal of dinner with the troops doesn’t instantly bring her to her feet. She knows the light will fade soon and the time to eat will pass, but she leans back against her saddlebags instead of rushing to her feet.

She watches through the fabric of her tent’s entrance as her friends leave and head to the center of camp. All but one pass by her tent without another thought. They lean over and Lucina waits for them to speak.

“Lucina?”

Inigo’s voice is quiet and Lucina sucks in a deep breath, her fingers curling around the bag in her hands. She swallows and exhales.

“Come in, Inigo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers are great, aren't they?


	6. Since We Made Our First Trade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> being done with classes for the year gives a person a surprising amount of time to write.

When Inigo hears Lucina’s voice come out of the tent he hazards a glance back to the rest of their band-all heading to where the food was being doled out for everyone. The sun was beginning to set. They would be missed, even in such a large group, and yet…

Inigo pushes the flap of the tent aside and crouches to enter. He glances down and sees Lucina sitting against her saddlebags holding something small in her hands. He couldn’t quite make it out in the low light, but as he sat across from her the object became clearer and then-

The sweets. He had bought them in town on a whim. He saw them there and thought about his childhood and how Lucina had smiled when they had shared the candy as children. It had cost a pretty penny, but he thought it had been worth the money to know that Lucina had something to smile about.

Inigo gulps, and waits as Lucina pulls a lantern from her bag and lights it. When it flickers to life she turns to him, holding the sweets up. He hazards a weak grin, leaning forward, “I see you got my present.”

“Yes,” Lucina frowns, cupping the bag in her hands, “Why?”

The question hangs in the air and Inigo feels his heart begin to thump loudly in his chest. There are too many answers to that question. _Because it reminded me of you-because I want you to smile-because I remember when we used to be able to dance-because I remember that kiss-because I think I may lo-_

“I did say I was going to get you something when we went out right?” Inigo’s answer is smooth despite his pulse jumping. He leans back on his palms, easing away from Lucina’s unwavering eyes.

Lucina bites her lip and Inigo’s eyes flicker to the pair, cracked and wind chapped. His eyes shift to face, and notices she hadn’t washed the grime of travel from her cheeks yet, seeing the dust and dirt of travel. He resists the urge to fidget while waiting for her to speak again. When she at last shakes her head, he feels his heart sink.

“This must have cost you your entire stipend for the month. I cannot in good consciousness take these from you,” Lucina offers the bag to Inigo, averting her eyes, “You should have them.”

Inigo leans forward at this and places his hand on top of the bag and pushes it aside, “I bought them for you, Lucina. Can’t you just take them and let me do something for you for once?” he grouses, brow furrowing. He watches as Lucina starts, her eyes snapping up to meet his and he cannot believe that he’s frowning at her when she looks so startled, but he is finding it hard to stay cheerful, “Lucina. Just take the candy. Why won’t you just let me do things for you anymore?”

Lucina’s eyes flicker down to the bag in her lap, and back to Inigo’s face and for a long moment Inigo wonders if Lucina has had a rough afternoon because she is normally so quick to snap back at him. He had gotten so used to the idea of her not wanting to talk that this silence was uncomfortable.

“Because I cannot afford to let myself be distracted anymore Inigo. We are not children playing at war anymore. This is real. The consequences are too high and there is too much that can go wrong,” Lucina’s voice is heavy with grief and responsibilities too heavy for a teenager. Inigo reaches forward and grips her shoulders with both hands and feels the tension beneath the cape draped across her back.

“We’re still alive, Lucina. Why shouldn’t I smile at you, or compliment you, or buy you candy we used to eat as children? Why not?” his voice is soft and he smiles at her, “Why shouldn’t we be allowed to smile and laugh? We’re _alive_ Lucina.”

The girl shakes her head, and Inigo can see the beginnings of her shields crumbling under the pressure. He feels her shoulders begin to bunch up and her fingers clench at the hem of her tunic, “At what cost Inigo? What could our folly cost us? The world is not as full of smiles as you think.”

“It should be. If I have learned _anything_ from being in this godforsaken war it’s the importance of smiling and laughing. How it can change someone’s day,” Inigo presses forward, squeezing Lucina’s shoulders. He’s never told her this-he’d always teased at her needing to smile more and she had always shot him down and told him to stop pestering her, but this time he presses forward, “It would change everything if you would smile more.”

Lucina shakes her head, hunched over, “You’re just saying that-you-you always say such stupid things Inigo.” She glares at him after a moment, “You’re just a horrid flirt.”

Inigo’s blood runs cold and his hands fall slack off Lucina’s shoulders. By the look on Lucina’s face he knows she instantly regrets the words leaving her lips but that knowledge wasn’t enough to stop Inigo from feeling the familiar ache of rejection in his chest. He gulps, swallowing the feeling down-forcing it to leave him _alone_ because he settled this with his father earlier-it’s _done._

“I’m sorry Lucina. I just…Why did you let me in your tent if you don’t want to listen to me?”

Lucina shifts, and he watches her fingers as they fiddle with the edge of the bag, “I just…You were the only one who stopped to see if I was left behind. You bought me this candy and I-I didn’t think it was right to eat it alone-I wanted to _share_ it and I’ve gone and messed all of this up,” she stops her ramblings to press a hand to her forehead, “I’m sorry Inigo, this came out all wrong. I’m just not myself today.”

Inigo looks at the girl before him-dust on her clothing and face, her cheeks red from embarrassment, or was it anger? Her fingers trembling just slightly and her eyes more confused than he had ever seen them. He was suddenly six years younger and the forest was the sound around him and Lucina was just a girl whose burdens were too much to bear and-

It all comes swelling up in his chest. He reaches out to cup Lucina’s chin and leans forward. He hesitates for only a moment before Lucina reaches out to grip Inigo’s shirt before finally touching his lips to hers.

They were cracked and dry and the kiss was too hard on both of their parts, but Inigo hadn’t felt so alive in months- _years_ -not since that last kiss in the woods that he was never supposed to bring up-but here he is kissing the princess and she is kissing him back and the feeling is far more than he has ever dreamed it being.

Lucina pulls away first, her face flushed and her eyes wide. Inigo instantly feels his stomach drop in dread. He ducks his head and waits for Lucina’s rage to finally kick in. It is a long moment before Lucina whispers something to him.

“Do you remember what you said in the forest? When we were younger?”

Inigo raises his head, looking at Lucina, before gulping. Of course he remembers.

“You told me to forget it.”

“I told you never to speak of it-that is entirely different. What did you say Inigo?”

“Do…do you feel like a child right now?”

Lucina’s shoulders slump and she leans back against her saddlebags. It is a few moments before the girl begins to quietly giggle, which after a few more seconds turns into full blown laughter. Inigo’s heart begins to race at the sound-it had been years since he had heard the sweet sound. Yet here he was, hearing it in peal after peal. It was a few more beats before Inigo found himself joining in the laughter-feeling relief surge through his body in a rush.

He isn’t sure how long they sit there, laughing-but after a few moments more the laughter quiets and they listen to the sounds of the rest of camp-the entire battalion chatting around a crackling fire, crickets beginning to chirp loudly in the night. Lucina looks more at ease than he has seen her in years, and he isn’t sure if it’s from the laughter, or the kiss, or if it’s all just come falling down, but one thing is crystal clear.

The smile on her face is breathtaking.

“I feel more like a child now than I ever have-” Lucina finally admits, “I heard the sounds from dinner and all I could think was, ‘What if Father saw?’ and the idea of Father finding out,” Lucina shakes her head, looking up at Inigo, “He would surely kill you.”

Inigo gulps, “Y-yeah, well…Let’s try to stop that from happening then,” he mutters, “I would rather like keeping my head on my shoulders.”

Lucina locks eyes with Inigo at that, and Inigo watches as her tongue darts out to wet her lips. He gulps again, his eyes darting between her eyes and her lips, and he knows she knows that he’s staring. The question is what she will do about it.

“Inigo.”

“Yes?”

“Will you eat these sweets with me?” Lucina blushes as she holds up the bag, “I-That was my initial intention actually, to eat these with you. But everything got so tangled up that I-”

“I will gladly eat those sweets with you. As long as you promise to keep smiling as long as I’m here.”

Lucina starts a bit at this, and Inigo sees the beginning of a frown form at the corner of her lips but then-

“Very well. I’m sure I can manage that.”

Inigo smiles so widely he’s sure he must look like a complete fool, and as he and Lucina reach into the bag to pull out some sweets, he notices that Lucina is staring at him. He relaxes, pulling back the smile to a more natural grin and holds up his sweet.

“Cheers.”

The taste was just as he had remembered it from years ago. The sweetness was almost overpowering compared to the bland food they ate on the road, but once he lets the richness of it sink in he heaves a sigh as he leans back. When he sees the small smile forming on Lucina’s lips he can’t be sure which was sweeter: The candy or her lips.


	7. Smile Even Though You're Sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This very belated chapter is brought to you by the song 'Death of a Bachelor' which supplied our chapter title, and a few lovely hours worth of writing music. Also we're reaching a head-and I'm gonna try to finish this story BEFORE Fates/Birthright comes out in the USA-so hopefully I can keep up this writing momentum.

Lucina had said as they were sharing the sweets that they could not afford to be distracted at such a crucial point in the war against Valm. She reminded Inigo that discretion was key-people could not know that this was going on. It was not proper, on one front, and on the other front, Lucina was a woman of propriety and power. She could not be seen as a person who was more interested in men. 

However-

Inigo wasn’t quite so sure how discreet they were being with their arms locked around each other and their mouths pressing to one another behind the supply cart but-

Well, he wasn’t quite willing to argue about it, in the end.

The sound of laughter nearby causes him to pull back abruptly though, his fingers gripping Lucina’s sides tightly. He gulps, waits a tense moment, and then the source of the laughter fades. His fingers fall from Lucina’s sides and his shoulders fall slack. Lucina coughs, tugging down the hem of her tunic and adjusts her sword belt. 

“Well…”

Inigo attempts to flatten his hair down after he mutters that. His heart is still thudding rather loudly and he can still feel the pressure of Lucina’s lips on his own. He watches as she runs her fingers through her hair to right it, and then she straightens. Her face sets into the solemn face of business and his heart lurches for a moment-urging him to kiss the seriousness away-but he stops his body before he can act on the impulse.

“Well, I shall see you later, Inigo.”

“Um yes! Later then, Lucina,” Inigo fumbles through his words as Lucina spares him the smallest of smiles as she leaves him behind. His heart flips in his chest and he’s certain this whole tryst is going to be the end of him. He’s either going to end up with Falchion jammed into his chest, or his heart will give out first.

Given Lucina’s family, he’s fairly certain the first option is more likely at this point. Even still-he straightens out his tunic and sword belt and makes his way back to the center of camp, where Chrom and Robin were standing, and where Lucina was heading. Seeing that Inigo made the decision that he needed to be…

Well-anywhere but where Lucina’s parents were really.

“Inigo! My brother in war and tribulations! Join me!”

Owain’s voice was a savior-Inigo finds himself glad to hear it for almost the first time in his life. He turns, and Owain closes the distance between them. His grin is almost splitting his face and his eyes are bright. Inigo takes a step back, grimacing a bit at the pure enthusiasm Owain seems to be oozing.

“What is it Owain?”

“My comrade, my dear fellow in arms- rejoice with me for today I have learned that we shall be embarking on a journey that shall lead us into the very arms of legend and heroism! We shall be remembered as those who vanquished the greatest evils in the land-”

“Owain, if you do not get to the point right now I will hit you.”

Owain deflates at this, frowning. Inigo would feel bad about taking the wind from his sails if this wasn’t such a normal occurrence. Owain straightens and smirks once more, squaring his stance. “My Exalted Uncle has declared that we shall make for the Conqueror’s stronghold on the morrow!” He claps his hands over Inigo’s shoulders, giving them a slight shake, “We ride at dawn!” 

Inigo opens his mouth to clarify, but Owain has already scurried off, having caught sight of Gerome out of the corner of his eye. Inigo watches as he ambushes the poor man before turning to see Lucina and her parents in the center of camp. He doesn’t need to be a marksman to see the tightness in Lucina’s shoulders as her father speaks to her. He watches as her mother rests a hand on Lucina’s shoulder and kisses her forehead before the two walk off towards the strategy tent.

He makes his way to Lucina quickly, his blood chilled and his heart racing. The last major battle had been taking down Yen’fay, but since then there hadn’t been any major advancement. This was huge. Especially in the face losing Basilio after their retreat from the last battle. He knows how it weighs on Lucina that Basilio had still decided to go forward with being the decoy.

“Luci-”

Inigo doesn’t even get the chance to finish calling her name before her glare causes the utterance to die in his throat. She clears her own throat and faces him squarely. 

“We leave tomorrow morning with the sun. Father asked me to get our companions ready. Can you help tell the rest of the boys?” Lucina’s voice is even but Inigo sees the unease in her eyes. She attempts to move past him but Inigo follows her, leaning close.

“Lucina, what aren’t you telling me? What’s going on?” Inigo hisses into her ear, dodging a soldier walking by with a horse. The misstep almost makes him loose Lucina, who was moving faster than she ought to. He waits for the answer,  _ hopes _ , but Lucina continues forward. Inigo’s eyes flicker to the supply tent, and the small space in between it and the strategy tent. He furrows his brow, counts to three and then grabs Lucina’s arm and hauls her into the small space.

“Wh-Inigo let me go this instant!”

“Lucina.”

She struggles against his grip for a moment more, glaring up at him, before she finally stops moving.

“What did your parents say?”

Inigo watches her face, watches as she averts her eyes, bites her lip, and lets out a shaky breath that scares him because Lucina doesn’t  _ get _ scared-she scares others. His own grip loosens on her arm and instantly her free hand goes to massage the spot he had been rough with. He waits, listening to the sounds of the camp around them mutely.

“We’re marching towards the stronghold of the Conqueror. Which means our time in Valm will be ending.”

“Good riddance to Valm and Walhart. You should be happy Lucina, we’re going  _ home  _ after this.”

Lucina frowns, “Yes, and what happened when the war with Valm ended in our time?”

Inigo opens his mouth to retort but his blood ran cold. For him a great deal of the war had been won. Both his father and mother had survived the war-which was more than he could say for having been a young boy years ago. The war with Valm had lasted a great deal longer in their time without the aid from Plegia. As such, the list of dead Shepherds grew every day. His parents had died early in the campaign. He knew only so much-but what he did know was that his parents had already beaten fate. 

Lucina’s parents destiny had yet to be averted. Her father had fought for a long time before his death-her mother had never been found, but the whispers were enough to cause alarm. Lucina couldn’t afford to relax, and Inigo knows that Lucina can see it on his face. 

“You understand why I cannot be distracted by you and your frivolity right now,” Lucina’s voice is low and grave as she pushes past Inigo. Anger flares in his stomach and he stalks after her.

“Frivolity? My worrying about you is  _ frivolous? _ ” Inigo’s voice is a hiss and he can feel his mind churning and telling him this is a poor idea but he can’t stop himself-he’s tired of being pushed aside. 

“Why are you doing this right now? I don’t have the time-”

“The  _ time _ ?” Inigo feels his voice rising, “Lucina we’ve been out of time since before we even came back in time,” he spins on his heel to stop her way. Lucina’s eyes are wide, and Inigo’s shoulders rise and he balls his hands into fists,  " You are so preoccupied with your damn  _ time  _ that you can't even see what's in front of you!"

He's yelling now, his cheeks flushed, shoulders tense, “Stop acting like you’re the only one whose bearing this damn war!” He grits his teeth and he’s suddenly aware of all the passing Shepherds staring at them. His shoulders go slack as he looks at Lucina’s face and he feels guilt roll in his chest immediately. He’d never seen her look so hurt before. His voice dies in his throat, “Luci-”

“Excuse me,” Her voice is tight as she pushes past him towards the barrack tents. Inigo lets her shove him because he can’t think of any way to apologize for his outburst. There was a moment of suspended quiet in the camp before everyone went back along their way and Inigo felt his face burn with shame. 

"Well, I certainly never thought I would see that happen. It's usually  _ my _ daughter who yells at people and leaves them wanting to cry."

Inigo's blood runs cold at the sound of Robin's voice. He turns mechanically and gulps as the woman takes even strides up to him-an amused smile on her face. He wishes he could suddenly burst into flames so he could get out of this conversation. But he’s trapped.

"M-Ma'am."

Robin laughed-a light and airy thing, and she waves him away with a loose hand, "Oh please, Inigo, no need for that. Robin will do, as it always has. Just because you're courting my daughter doesn't mean you have to suddenly get shy on me." Her eyes twinkled and Inigo is left suddenly fearing the knowledge this woman has. 

"Ho-how did you-?"

"Know? My daughter would like to think she can sneak around without being seen, but she's no trickster. I've noticed how the two of you duck away all the time. And she's been smiling more than I'd ever seen. And before you ask her father does not know. Chrom is about as perceptive as a bag of rocks, Naga bless him."

Inigo still stands ramrod straight, and Robin finally sighs and places a hand on his shoulder. He jolts, but after a moment lets his shoulders relax. He hazards a weak smile and Robin's smile grows a tad wider and warmer. He relaxes even further as she gives the shoulder a light squeeze.

“Let’s take a walk, shall we?” Inigo falls in step with Robin as she walks towards the edge of the camp, “I’m sure everyone would love to have some new gossip, and I know Lucina isn’t the best at being teased.”

“No she is not,” Inigo agrees with a weary chuckle, thinking back to years of fierce blushes and bruises on his arms and chest from Lucina taking offense to any tease he or their friends sent her way. He always remembered it fondly whenever he thought about his turbulent childhood. 

“So, despite the claims that I know everything there is to know, I'm afraid I'm quite clueless when it comes to my children. Lucian in particular.” Robin’s smile grows a bit amused as the walk towards the edge of camp, “Despite wearing her emotions on her sleeve, I'm likely the last person in camp she would share her thoughts with.”

Inigo nods. He'd noticed it many times in the past how unlike the rest of their ilk she was about her parents. Only Gerome was so taciturn about it as well, and even he had thawed out eventually. It remained only Lucina who had so much trouble with her parents. 

Robin sends a sidelong glance to Inigo and smirks, “I get the feeling you know why too, Don't you, Inigo?”

Inigo gulps, and feels his skin go cold. It wasn't his place to say was it? He wasn't going to be the one to ruin the fragile relationship Lucina had-he couldn't . He ducks his head instead. 

“It isn't my place to say, really. I…” He struggles with the words, trying to find the easiest way to say ‘ _ your daughter thinks you're going to kill her father’- _ but instead what he blurts out is different altogether-“She loves you, you know.”

Robin’s face transforms into a mask of a sad sort of gratitude. Her smile weakens, and Inigo is struck by how much Lucina favored her mother in the face-he’d seen that smile too many times to count. Robin sighs, and faces out towards beyond camp. “I know.” She whispers. “Gods know I don't deserve it after all we've put her through.” 

Inigo shakes his head, “But that wasn't you. Not really. It's not the same.” His voice drops too, and his heart clenches. All of the children knew that. These weren't their real parents. They wore the same clothes, looked and sounded the same, but the memories, the familiarity-none of it was there. It was one of the hardest things about it all. Lucina’s words from earlier echo in his head-

_ “I’m their daughter and yet I’m not their daughter. I’m starting to see why Gerome never wanted to come back because I’m happy and yet _ -” 

Robin shook her head, “That's the root of it, isn't it? I'm not really her mother. Not the she remembers at least. And whatever I did to her then...its left marks. Some things can't be fixed with just smiles and hugs, I'm afraid.” 

Inigo turns to face Robin fully and for the first time doesn't see the veteran tactician that everyone looked up to. He doesn't see his Queen. He sees a tired and worn down mother, her clothing caked in mud and grime, and her hair messy from marching. He feels the weight of the world on her shoulders-and he suddenly knows where Lucina’s gotten it from.

“That's not true. A smile can go a long way.” Inigo blurts out, clenching his fists, “Smiling-it makes others happy. It can change a person’s whole day!” Lucina’s small smile after Inigo had kissed her goodnight the night they shared sweets had kept him grinning like a fool for days after at the thought. Cynthia had always crowed in joy everytime Gerome smiled.

“Is that why you're always smiling Inigo?” Robin asks, and Inigo gulps and averts his eyes, “I'm sorry. That's not fair to ask. But you're right. I've seen it happen.” The woman straightens and Inigo sees the change in her instantly-her moment of weakness through. She claspes a hand to Inigo’s shoulder, a grateful smile on her face.

“Thank you for the talk, Inigo. It helped more than you know. As for my daughter...I approve of you trying to make her happy. She deserves it. Keep at it. If she's anything like me and her father it will take her some time to admit what she feels.” Robin chuckles a little, lost in a memory. “However, break my little girl’s heart and I will not hesitate to make you suffer.”

Inigo gulps again and nods fervently, “Y-yes, ma’am.”

Robin’s smile turns almost sickly sweet, “Good! Glad we understand each other.” She pats his shoulder and turns without another word, leaving Inigo with his thoughts as he watched camp begin to bustle around to pack up for the march the next morning. 

He catches a glimpse of long cobalt hair heading towards the weapons tent and makes to follow. It takes him only a minute to catch up and enter behind her. The tent is surprisingly empty considering the bustle outside. But it suits Inigo just fine. 

Lucina bristles as soon as she sees who has entered. Her nose is still red from crying, and her face is screwed in a scowl. Inigo notices her hands ball into fists and readies himself to be hit. 

“What do you need, Inigo?”

Her voice is cutting, and Inigo flinches. He takes a hesitant step forward, and watches and Lucina braces herself for him to come closer. The distance between them seems insurmountable. 

“I wanted to apologize. I was angry and I...it wasn't right for me to yell at you. I know that your burdens are...pretty big.”

Lucina’s frown lessens, and she crosses her arms over her chest. She huffs. “Intentions aside, Inigo, you made a scene in front of the whole camp.” She shakes her head, “I wish you hadn't done that.”

“I'm sorry.” Inigo repeated weakly. He was silent for a moment before speaking again, “I just want you to be happy. To not be so stuck in the past. To be here right now.” 

Lucina bites her lip and casts her eyes downward. Her fingers flex against her arms and her silence is unnerving. She finally shakes her head, and her voice cracks when she speaks. 

“I  _ can’t.  _ If I stop now it will all have been for nothing. I can't let that happen Inigo, I can’t.”

Inigo feels his heart break a little at how small the normally so tall girl seems. He closes the distance between them in a heartbeat and folds her into his arms. She falls almost slack against him, all the tension she had been holding gone in a moment as she clung to the back of his vest for all she was worth. 

“You don't have to be the strongest person in the world, Lucina.  We're all here for you. Your parents, your brother, our friends.” He pauses, licking his lips-dry all of the sudden as his heart pounds, “And me. I'm here too. Always.”

“You shouldn't make promises you can't keep.” Comes the muffled and watery reply. Lucina’s breath hot against his neck, and her tears were warm against his skin. She sighs, and Inigo shivers at the feeling. 

“I don't make promises I can't keep. I  _ promise _ , Lucina. I want to make you smile all the time, I want you to be happy.” He would repeat it as many times as he needed to. If anyone deserves happiness-it was her. 

Lucina's grip on his back grows ever tighter and she takes in a shaky breath. Inigo peers down at her and watches as she slowly raises her head to look at him. Her eyes are still glossy with tears and her nose is red, but Inigo has never- _ never _ -seen such a perfect person. Her eyelashes flutter with moisture as she sniffs, but she tilts her head and begins to lean up-and Inigo leans down to meet her half way-

“Hey! The Vaike is here to help-eh?”

The two teenagers jump apart without a thought as Vaike loudly enters the tent. The two look anywhere but each other as Vaike takes in the scene before him. He sniffs, rubbing the back of his neck, “Did the Vaike interrupt anything?”

“N-No! No, I was uh...just looking for Owain’s whetstone!” Inigo babbles, wincing as his own ears find his excuse terrible, “But-it uh-doesn’t look like it’s here! So, I’ll be going! Bye!” He ducks his head and scurries out of the tent-ears burning. 

He misses the small smile the curls over Lucina’s lips as he leaves. 


	8. Roses and Violets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things can't be taken back. You just have to live with it. Can Lucina?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually glad I haven't finished this fic-because Fates has changed how I'm going to approach the ending of this fic. So, this works out. But! Here's this chapter, and I'm already half done with the next-while grinding through the three different paths of Fates as fast as I can. Also Happy Easter to those who celebrate it-consider this my Easter egg gift to you all.

The sound of steel scraping free from a scabbard is still ringing in Lucina’s ears. Her hands still smell of the sweat and blood that clung to her sword’s grip. Her arms still feel leaded by the weight of Falchion-of the effort spent holding it aloft for so long. She still sees the almost blinding oranges of the sunset. 

_ “I know this is matricide.” _

Her head hurts. 

_ “It will be swift and painless.” _

Her stomach is still turning in her abdomen. 

_ “Don't say that! I-” _

Her skin is clammy. 

“ _ I can't do it. Damn it all, I can't! I'm so sorry, Mother. I-” _

Lucina retches, and her throat burns at the feeling of the bile. She heaves again and tears sting as she curls over herself. Everything hurts, and Lucina can't even find the strength to get back up. 

_ Good,  _ Her mind ticks.  _ You deserve this.  _

The sounds of camp are only a dim murmur. Lucina hadn't left the field she had confronted her mother in. She had cried in her arms for what seemed like forever-but when Robin offered her hand to go back to camp Lucina had refused.

She didn't deserve that unconditional forgiveness. That powerful love. 

_ Matricide. _

She had tried to kill her mother. 

_ “We were never sure you know. They could have been wrong. It could have been anyone. You shouldn’t think about it. This is our second chance after all.” _

Inigo’s words, ones that felt years away, echo painfully in her head, and his worried frown comes to mind. His hand gripping her shoulder at the end of their skirmish on the way out of Plegia’s castle. The way he murmured her name, begging her to return to camp with him to rest. 

She should have followed him. Put this all out of mind. Now she’d gone and ruined  _ everything _ . Her stomach finally empty, she stumbles away from the mess, her throat raw. Everything feels  _ wrong.  _ Wasn’t this what she had come back to do? Save her father, keep her little brother safe, and stop Grima from taking over the world?

_ But what about Mother? Did you ever even think...? _ Lucina’s mind whispers. Biting her lip, Lucina drags herself over to a stump to sit, dizzy. Tears burn at her eyes, a worryingly familiar feeling. 

“Luci?”

Her head snaps around to see Inigo standing there, holding a plate of food and a water flask. His face is set in what Lucina is growing to realize is a look only for her-a very pitiful expression that spoke of an emotion that Lucina dares not put a name to. He is frowning, and that only makes the tears that Lucina was holding back spill over. 

“I’m sorry.”

She turns away from him, a sob pushing the words from her throat. She hears him moving quickly and he’s at her side in a heartbeat. His arms wrap around her with practiced ease and his fingers begin to run through her hair in smooth strokes. Lucina gladly presses her face into the crook of his neck, her breath hitching loudly as she cries once more. 

It feels like hours until she stops. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” Inigo’s voice is low and worried, and Lucina pushes her face further into his skin breathing in the scent of dried blood and dirt, of the cheap scent he picked up in the last town they stopped in because she said it smelled good on him. 

She almost lies to him, almost brushes it off again-as she had so many times before. Then her gut churns at the thought of letting Inigo down again, after so many attempts to get her to trust him. She can’t after seeing so many sad frowns and downcast eyes. Not again.

“I tried to kill my mother.”

The words slip out on a hoarse breath and it takes all of Lucina’s strength to stop herself from retching again. Inigo’s hold grows tighter on her and he takes in a sharp breath. Lucina holds as still as possible, waiting for the inevitable anger and rejection. 

It never comes. Instead, Inigo sighs loudly and rests his chin over Lucina’s skull. 

“How do you feel?” 

The question feels out of place against the circumstances, in Lucina’s head. How does she feel? He can’t tell?  _ Or he  _ can _ tell...but he just wants  _ you _ to say it.  _ Her head argues back, trying to tamp out the self hate slowly but surely. She takes in a deep breath and bites her lip, closing her eyes.

“Terrible. She...she just stood there. She was going to let me do it.” Lucina’s words tremble and she can still feel that kind gaze on her-see that smile. “ _ My life is yours. It always has been.”  _ Such wonderful words in the face of death. 

“So she believed you. She thought she was a threat too.” Inigo’s words are low, and he snakes an arm in between them to cup Lucina’s chin and get her to look at him, “What else?” His eyes are steady, and his hand is warm against Lucina’s clammy skin. 

“She...She forgave me. Without a second thought. Who...who can do such a thing? Just stand there and wait to be killed and then  _ forgive  _ their would be murderer?” The words come out as a babble and Lucina’s eyes begin to tear up again. Her grip on his shirt grows ever tighter. 

“Someone who loves you,” Inigo smiles, brushing the tears around her eyes away with a thumb.

“I don’t deserve that love! How can I? I’ve failed at every step! Every task I set out to do I’ve failed at!” Lucina’s voice raises with every new statement and her hands clench into fists, “So why?”

Inigo frowns, waiting for a moment before answering, “Why? Why does anyone do anything? Because they believe in it. Your mother loves you, and she believes in you. She knows you wouldn’t have done it if you weren’t completely sure. I mean, that’s why you waited so long, isn’t it?”

Lucina lets of a breath as if she’s been punched, “You knew?”

Inigo chuckles, “Lucina, I’ve been following you since we were kids. I know you better than you think. I know that  you’ve tried to put this off as long as you could.” He cocks his head, “You don’t think I was just trying to get you to come with me to kiss after the battle or something?”

Lucina manages a watery chuckle at that, shaking her head, “Will you be cross with me if I say yes?” At Inigo’s wide grin she shakes her head, “No, I knew you wanted to stop me. But you didn’t force me to go with you,” She furrows her brow, “Why didn’t you? You could have. I wasn’t in a good place, I would have followed if you really tried.”

Inigo shrugged, averting his eyes, “I guess I didn’t want you to hate me for getting in your way. You’ve always said how important it is for you to finish what you start and I...I just couldn’t take it if you hated me for taking away one of your last chances.” His fingers faltered on her face before lowering them as he spoke, until they were clenched in his lap and he was ducking his head. 

Lucina stares at the boy for a moment mutely before realizing he was being honest. Did he really value himself so lowly? Did he think she cared so little for him? Her heart squeezed painfully at the thought of him not knowing how she felt about him. She unclenched her fists and took Inigo’s head in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

“I could  _ never _ hate you, Inigo. How could you even think that? You…” Lucina pauses, unsure whether it is wise to continue, “The thought of you even  _ thinking _ that I hate you... _ God _ s, my heart hurts at the thought.”

The wonder on Inigo’s face urges her on, “You’re one of the most important people in this world to me, Inigo.”

“I love you.”

The words slip out of Inigo’s lips unbidden and Lucina’s fingers jolt on his face as she stares at him. The horror suddenly dawns on his face at what he’s just said, and his face flushes dangerously quickly. 

“Inigo, wha-”

He stands before she can even finish the question forming on her lips, her heart pounding, and her cheeks hot. He runs a hand through his hair and he searches the ground for the plate he brought out, muttering quickly. 

“I should get going-I got you some food, but um. I mean, you should  _ eat _ at some point, but you don’t need to eat with  _ me _ and-”

Lucina steals the rambling from his lips with a kiss, swallowing the yelp that escaped from his throat. After a moment she pulls back and locks eyes with the startled dancer. She clears her throat and averts her eyes for a moment. “Well. What kind of man are you to run away after confessing that?”  At Inigo’s surprised croak she puts a finger over his lips, giving him a small smile, “I suppose the kind of man that I love.” 

Inigo’s eyes widen even more, but behind Lucina’s finger his face breaks into a wide grin. This time Lucina is startled as Inigo scoops her up into a bearhug and twirls her around, laughing all the while. When he finally puts the two of them down, he’s flushed again, his grin almost manic.

“You mean it? You love me?”

He sounds incredulous.

“I do. I love you.” Lucina answers, laughter leaking into her words at the end. She places a hand over her mouth, attempting to stop the laughter, but Inigo tugs her back in for another hug, and she can’t fight it. 

She feels lighter than she has in months. 

Inigo lets her go at last, and even though he is still grinning like a fool Lucina doesn’t bother scolding him. Instead she watches as he retrieves the food and waterskin again and wiggle them slightly. 

“Eat with me?” He requests, waggling his eyebrows. Lucina snorts, but sits back down on her stump, leaving room for Inigo as he passes her the plate. She leans her head against his shoulder as she takes a bite from the roll on the plate. 

When Inigo’s arm snakes around her waist Lucina smiles through her chewing, glancing up at Inigo’s beaming face. It feels right. Simple. Far more simple than she thought. 

From the edge of camp, leaning against a pole, Robin smiles at the two teenagers. Inigo turns for a moment, feeling eyes on them, and watches as Robin nods to him before she turns around to disappear into camp. He almost swears he can hears a tired voice on the night breeze.

_ “Thank you.” _


	9. Just Keep Your Eyes On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feeling in Inigo’s chest was better than any dance he’d ever perfected. It was warmer than his mother’s smile as she wished him sweet dreams. It was better than his father’s hand ruffling his hair after a dance well done. Better than even the first time Lucina kissed him. 
> 
> It was euphoria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a long time coming and thankfully the final chapter is also done so this has finally, FINALLY reached it's end. This chapter's song of inspiration and title grab is 'Shut Up and Dance' which is wonderful and great to write to.

Inigo had stared at a giant dragon. 

It was like something out of his worst nightmares, the kinds where he would cry out for his mother in the dark. He had seen Grima leaving the castle years ago-he remembered the fear rolling off his companions in waves. 

He had never been one to run towards a dragon. Never been one to decide that fighting said dragon would be in his cards. But that had been before he came back in time and fought. Now he was ready to head into the charge, sword drawn. 

It had been a fraught few days since the battle at the Dragon’s Table. Lucina’s scream of horror as her mother struck her father down still echoes in his ears, as does the way she attempted to break free of Inigo’s hold to run to Chrom’s side. No matter the outcome of the battle, how clever Robin had been...Grima was back.

Inigo hadn’t seen Lucina in the hours since the fight at Origin Peak. She had retreated away into the strategy tent with her family, and it seemed the whole of camp was holding its breath waiting for the next move. The tension could be cut with a knife, and Inigo was glad his parents were sticking close to him, keeping him company as he waited for Lucina to reemerge. 

It was early morning when she did so. The dew was settled on the grass and the morning air was still wet. Her eyes spoke of little sleep, and her face was set in a grim line,  but Inigo was enraptured nonetheless. She tilted her head towards the edge of camp and offered him a hand. He took it with a stutter in his heart and walked with her, silent the whole while. 

When they finally reached the edge of camp, the sun was starting to peek more fully over the horizon. Lucina stared dead on ahead. 

“My mother is considering killing herself in the final battle.” It’s stated almost as plainly as the weather and Inigo is about to interject when she continued, “She and Grima are linked by the same soul. There’s no saying what will happen if she is the one to strike Grima down. Naga says she  _ could _ live...Mother doesn’t fancy her odds though.” 

Inigo squeezed her hand, “What do you think?”

Lucina frowned, casting her eyes down, “I really shouldn’t have a say given how things have gone. But I agree with her. One life for millions? We were both willing to make that sacrifice earlier-it would be hypocritical of me to say ‘no’ now.”

Inigo’s mind flashes back to few weeks earlier, Lucina sobbing into his neck as she admitted to attempting matricide. The pain on her face, the forlorn timbre to her voice. He’d hated every bit of it. In her face now though, he sees hesitation.

“But…?” He pressed.

Lucina bit her lip, “I...I don’t want to lose her again. I had given up-I thought that was the  _ only _ way. Blinded to any other chance. When Father gave me hope for a new chance I...I started imagining a future with Mother in it. For Father, Morgan...myself.” Her shoulders hunched over, “Is it selfish of me to want my mother over the world?”

Inigo pulled her into a hug, his heart going out to her at the small quality to her voice. “No. It’s exactly how I would feel. Don’t feel badly about it Lucina.” Her arms come around his waist and she squeezed him tighter. 

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re here with me, Inigo.”

“I would never leave your side, Lucina. I’m with you until the end and beyond that.” Inigo promised, his voice low. He felt the ring in his belt pouch grow heavy. He’d purchased it in town after that night in the field-just in case. He was going to wait until the war was over-as a celebration of the triumph. A hope that maybe Lucina wouldn’t mind staying with him for the rest of their lives. 

“Inigo, things are going to change once the war ends.” Lucina looked up at him now, her eyes grave, “Everything...our lives, the country. I’m not going to be a princess anymore. Not in the way I am now. It would be...unwise to butt into the affairs of myself in this timeline.” 

She paused, as if gathering her courage, and then locked eyes with him-hope in her eyes and a shyness in her smile he was not used to. “I would like to travel with you. Making people happy with your dancing and keeping them safe with my sword. That is-if you would have me there. As the sword at your side.”

Her face was flushed when she finished speaking. Inigo’s eyes widened and it takes a moment for it all to sink in before he begins the laugh, bringing his hands up to hide his face. Of course this is his luck. Always a step behind Lucina. 

He dragged his hands down on his face as Lucina glares up at him. He held up one of his hands as he reached into his belt pouch.

“You’ve sort of beaten me to the punch here but…”

He got down on one knee and took Lucina’s hand in his own. He watched as she took a step back, covering her mouth with her other hand. He sighed, a rueful grin covering his face. “Lucina-I’ve been in love with you since we were kids. I’ve just never been able to put it into words. I never thought I was  _ good _ enough to be with you. You’re a princess and I’m nothing but a dancing mercenary. But…”

Inigo pulled the ring out and held it up, watching it glint in the early morning light.  Lucina’s eyes widened and Inigo couldn’t help but laugh again and the absurdity of it all. “So...Lucina...would you marry me? After this war is over, I’ll gladly stay by your side forever. So...How about it?”

Lucina was quiet for a moment before dropping to her knees as well. Inigo felt fear start to well up in his chest, but then Lucina’s hand curled around the one holding the ring and she squeezed it. Inigo’s heart nearly leapt from his chest when she smiled at him and nodded. 

“Yes? You’re saying yes?”

“Yes!”

The feeling in Inigo’s chest was better than any dance he’d ever perfected. It was warmer than his mother’s smile as she wished him sweet dreams. It was better than his father’s hand ruffling his hair after a dance well done. Better than even the first time Lucina kissed him. 

It was euphoria. 

“I can’t wear the ring during the battle to come-but may I still have it?” Lucina’s fingers wrapped around the ring gingerly, “I don’t want to lose it in the battle, but I promise the moment it’s over,” her eyes softened, “It will be on my finger.”

“It’s yours.” Inigo didn’t trust his voice for anything more, laughter bubbling up and spilling over. He fell back the short distance to the ground and swiped a hand at his eyes, feeling the tears start to spill over. 

He watched as Lucina put the ring in her belt pouch and rested a hand over it as if she couldn’t believe it was really there, before she turned back to face him again. She shook her head to hide the grin pulling at her face, and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy in my life. Is it right to feel so happy when things are so dire?”

Inigo opened his arms for Lucina to slot herself against his chest, and he shook his head, “I think it’s the  _ best _ time to be happy. We could all use some happiness right now.”

Lucina laughed into his chest, wrapping her arms around Inigo’s torso, latching onto the back of his shirt with her hands. She relaxed into his arms, her eyes sliding closed. “I suppose you’re right about that. Gods. I can’t even...This is wonderful, Inigo.”

Inigo squeezed her against his chest, the grin on his face so wide it nearly hurt him. They sat there in the morning dew until the horns on camp began to ring for everyone to get ready for battle. Lucina pulled back from hug with grim look in her eyes. 

“It’s time. Are you ready?”

“No. Are you?”

Lucina huffed a light laugh as she stood, offering Inigo a hand. “Not at all. But we’re needed. Don your armor. I’ll see you on the pitch.” When Inigo was standing she leaned up and pressed a light kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Inigo pressed a harder kiss to Lucina’s lips before breaking off to lock eyes with the princess, “I’ll stay safe. Will you?”

“I will.” She squeezed his hand before letting it go to head towards camp,  before stopping herself. “Walk with me to my tent?”

Inigo felt the blush rush to his face as he stammered for a moment before nodding and rushing to offer the princess an arm. They walked side by side through the entire camp before making it to Lucina’s tent, where she gave Inigo another light kiss on the lips. She smiled at him before departing into the tent, leaving Inigo standing there with a goofy grin. 

\--

Battles were never easy. 

Particularly those of the world ending variety. Inigo had never loved the idea of battling humans, but there was something even worse about fighting a giant dragon who may or may not be his future mother-in-law from their original timeline. It was worse somehow. 

It also didn't help that he was stuck fighting every Plegian general from the last four hundred years’ reanimated form as Chrom and Robin made the final push towards Grima. 

He'd never been much for faith before Grima had destroyed his original home-but he could not deny the gods power with Naga’s energy coursing through his veins and keeping him fighting. 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Lucina’s armor glinting in the swirling lights above them. He jammed his sword between the ribs of his latest foe and pushed the corpse off with his foot with a grunt. 

“Owain! Cover me I'm going to make a push with Lucina!”

“Right! Have at you, fiends!! You contend with Owain the Mighty!!”

Inigo spared only a backwards glance to his childhood friend slashing through a man’s arm before sprinting to join Lucina near the front. He caught up to her right as a general lumbered in front of her, planting his shield in the ground and thrusting forth with his spear. 

Inigo was a second faster with his blade, countering the spear to the side as Lucina deftly swiped Falchion in the new space left by Inigo’s block. 

“Right on time, eh Lucina? What do you say to a dance?” Inigo spun his sword with a flourish, watching as Lucina dislodged her sword from the corpse before them. She gave him a tense smile and a nod before setting her eyes towards the head of the Fell Dragon.

“Let’s end this.”

The final charge was unlike anything Inigo had been through before, far more draining than the battle to the portal to the past that he had fought all those years ago. That felt far away and pointless compared to the fight before him. He wasn't losing this world. This one had become  _ home.  _

It was where he finally learned the end of his mother’s dance. Where he and Owain finally understood each other. Where he and Lucina had finally gotten their chance and taken it. He wasn't going to lose this world. Not ever. 

It seemed like the enemies would never stop-but suddenly they all seemed to vanish in an instant. Inigo wheeled around, his eyes searching for the cause of the sudden change, before a ear splitting roar shook him where he stood. 

“Inigo, look!” Lucina pointed with her sword arm towards where her parents stood, not twenty yards up. The doppelgänger had made the noise, doubled over in agony. The dragon they stood up began to tremble and it was all it took for Inigo to stay upright.

What happened next seemed to unfold in half time before Inigo's eyes. His blood began to pound in his ears as he watched his Queen stand and put a hand on Chrom’s shoulder. She placed a light kiss on his cheek before pushing him down and rushing towards Grima. Inigo could feel his own feet scrabbling to try and stop her, and he heard Lucina cry out in shock-but he just couldn't seem to make his limbs move correctly-

The next instant everything snapped back into reality as Grima shrieked in pain-Robin’s sword stabbed through the gut. Magic whipped around them as the doppelgänger pulsed energy. 

“Mother-No!!” 

Without a second thought he grabbed Lucina around the waist, holding her tightly lest she get torn by the blast. No one was holding Chrom, however. The Exalt stumbled to his feet and rushed to Robin-her name a prayer on his lips-but it was too late. Robin tore her sword free and fell to her knees, grunting with effort. 

Grima disappeared into dust before them, growling on about vengeance, but Inigo paid it no mind. He let Lucina go at last and joined her as she rushed to her mother’s side. Morgan seemed to appear from nowhere, and before Inigo knew it the whole royal family was kneeling with Robin. 

Inigo had never seen something like this happen before. Robin seemed to be vanishing, her body becoming see through as Chrom desperately tried to hold her. On her part, Robin simply smiled, that tired smile she'd shown Inigo months ago. 

“Take care of each other. I love you. I promise I'll see you soon. I’m sorry, Chrom, Lucina, Morgan…” The smile grew wider as tears streamed down Robin’s face, “Thank you...for everything.”

“Robin! No!” Chrom’s voice cracked as he reached for Robin’s hand, but as his fingers made contact with Robin’s shimmering fingers, she seemed to explode into a thousand bits of stardust. 

The screams of anguish from the Royal Family were unlike anything Inigo had ever heard in his life. All he could do was stand there as Chrom brought his two children tight to his chest and the three sobbed loudly. 

Inigo didn’t even notice Naga’s intervention to get them to solid ground again-his attention was so caught on the small family before him. 

\--

“Are you okay?” 

Inigo’s voice was quiet as he came up beside Lucina, carrying a blanket with him. The hard-won victory celebration was behind them, and the memory of what it had cost still echoed throughout the camp. No one had seen Chrom come out of his tent since dinner. Lucina herself had only just emerged a little while ago. 

Lucina shivered, and Inigo draped the blanket around her shoulders, his hands lingering around her arms. She glanced up at him, eyes still rimmed with red, and she shook her head. She had a weak smile on her face. 

“This is becoming a distressing trend. You finding me after I’ve been crying.” 

Her fingers curled around the edge of the blanket and Inigo’s heart leapt a little at the sight of his ring on her finger. He allowed her to lean against his chest and his arms circled her. 

“Well, after years of you and everyone else finding me crying somewhere, consider it karma.” Inigo mused, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “I’m sorry again, for what it’s worth.” Inigo could still picture the horror on Lucina’s face as he held her back as Robin rushed towards her doppelganger. He suppressed the shiver at the memory of Lucina’s heart wrenching cry as her mother disappeared. 

Lucina shook her head, “I know. But Mother made her choice. And...We’ll find her. Father, Morgan and I.” Her voice was resolute, despite a watery sniff near the end. She peered up at Inigo, her eyes hopeful, “And you too right? You would come too?”

Inigo smiled down at her, pressing their foreheads together, “To the ends of our world, Lucina.”

The hard earned smile was worth the wait as Lucina nodded, “Good. I’m glad. I…” she blinked to clear the tears from her eyes, and Inigo only wished he could steal the tears away. She stepped out of Inigo’s arms, fiddling with the blanket’s edges in her hands.

Faintly, the sound of music filtered over from the camp, and Inigo tilted his head back. “Sounds like they’ve started the songs now.” He could hear Brady’s violin music twirling in the air, a light jaunt that he’d danced to many a time in the past. He brought his attention back to Lucina, who also turned her gaze back to camp. 

Suddenly, a memory from years ago, buried deep in his head came tumbling forward. Lucina looking ever so small in a blanket-so much like her cape when she first donned it. The downcast eyes, her biting her lip. He could almost hear the forest. 

“Dance with me?” He whispered, hope edging into his voice. His heart felt painfully full as Lucina looked up at him, eyes wide, as she too found herself years back. He reached out a hand, smiling.

She took it without a second thought, slowly being swept up in a slow swaying dance. It didn’t match the music being played, but it matched the memory. It was like saying hello again after so long a war. It was where they had begun, and now it was where they were ending. 

“I’m okay, Inigo,” Lucina finally answered, looking up at him as they danced to their improvised waltz, “I’m here. I’m alive. And…” she smiled again, and the sweetness of it almost made Inigo cry, “I’m with  _ you _ . It’s more than I ever hoped for.”

Inigo twirled Lucina out, a low laugh erupting from his chest, as he watched the blanket flutter away from Lucina’s shoulders to the ground . As he brought her back in he leaned down and captured her lips against his own, drinking in her smile. Lucina’s hand balled up the fabric of his shirt, and her hand squeezed his tightly. 

This was what his mother had told him. All those years ago. Dancing is about love. And here he felt love more keenly than he ever had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact! I forgot I had this chapter finished. I had written the last two chapters in bits and pieces and totally forgot that I had you know-finished the Inigo chapter while I was writing the final chapter in Lucina's 3rd person POV. Whoops. As it is that chapter is undergoing edits and then it will be done for good. thank god. haha. Thanks for sticking around guys. You're troopers.


	10. Counting The Ways To Where You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina couldn’t remember the last time she felt so at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end you guys, and it's a doozy. It's been a wild journey, but to help you along this last chapter and to bring you down memory lane, I present you with the 8tracks playlist of the music that helped inspire this piece and helped me write it! Listen to it while reading this chapter-or reread the whole fic with it! That'd be awesome too. Roundabout spoilers for Revelations and it's DLC near the end if you haven't finished the game, by the way. Also the title this time around is lovingly stolen from '100 Years' by Fighting for Five.
> 
>  
> 
> http://8tracks.com/konaookami/a-language-that-is-felt-instead-of-heard

“Are you sure about this, Father?”

“Of course. Robin…” Chrom choked a bit on the name before shaking his head, “Your mother wouldn’t have wanted what happened to get in the way of your happiness.”

Lucina gave a weak smile to her father, riding beside him as they headed home from the final battle. It would be a longer trek than the ride to the battle-with injuries and a sense of sadness tinging the caravan line. They would be making several stops before they made it back to Ylisse and Ylisstol. Lucina knew her father would need the time to compose himself before facing his people without his beloved queen by his side. 

Chrom spared a glance backwards to Inigo and the man’s face twisted in a small grin, “I have to say though...of all the young men...I would have suspected Gerome before Inigo.”

Lucina bit back a laugh, before shaking her head, “No. Gerome is a dear friend-but between the two of us...I believe Cynthia once said we had enough frowns for the whole country. No I…” She trailed off, thinking of Inigo’s easy smile, the lazy way grins crossed his face when he was relaxed. She found her smile growing. “I think I need a man who smiles to even it out.”

“He makes you happy.” It was a statement rather than a question, and Chrom’s face softened as he looked at his daughter. “Gods but you look like your mother…” He murmured, “She smiles-smiled like that whenever I…” He trailed off again, before squeezing his eyes shut. Lucina felt a sharp pang of pain at her father’s words. It was still so fresh, so startling. 

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“Ah, I’m spoiling the moment. I’m sorry, Lucina.” Chrom reached over to grip Lucina’s shoulder. “All this to answer a simple question! Of course I give my blessing. I have the feeling your mother already gave her’s.”

Happiness bubbled up in Lucina’s stomach and had she not been mounted on a horse she would have thrown her arms about her father. As it were she gave him her biggest smile and squeezed the hand on her shoulder. 

“Thank you.”

\--

Their marriage is not as elaborate as a princess’s should be. But that suited Lucina just fine. She’d never been comfortable with the pomp her role in the court required. She was certain her shy groom felt the same.

It was a small church that they married each other in. In one of the towns they stopped in on their way home. Somehow she’d managed to find a clean set of clothing, and Severa had snipped at her as she fixed her makeup and hair for the small occasion. 

“You should be married in front of the whole court,” Chrom muttered as he took her arm in his, “You deserve more than just a simple wedding out in the field.” 

“Father…” Lucina gave the man a small smile, “We can’t have the Halidom wondering why the princess is suddenly an adult and getting married, can we?” She watched as Chrom chuckled, “It suits us better anyways. We’re just a couple of soldiers getting married at the end of a war. Like the stories you used to tell me before I slept.”

Chrom’s smile grew a bit wobbly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Lucina knew he wished he could have been there for her-had the memories that she treasured so much. He wanted to share them. And even if this man was not  _ truly  _ her father (Missing the telltale limp in the right leg from Emmeryn’s assassination, and the laugh lines around the eyes. The short beard he kept close to his strong jaw.) he loved her all the same. 

“If you insist.” He pressed a kiss against her forehead, and squeezed her hand, “Are you ready?”

“Yes. I am.”

\--

“We’re married.” Inigo whispered to her late in the evening the first night they return to Ylisstol. The bed they share is wide enough to have four people in it, but they huddled close together in the center, entwined. Inigo’s voice rumbled in Lucina’s ears and she pushed her nose against his neck.

“We are. We’ve been married for more than two weeks, Inigo.” She reminded him, her fingers seeking for more blankets to wrap around them. Inigo’s hands bat hers from the covers, bringing her closer to his body instead.

“I just...Are you sure this isn’t a dream?” Inigo murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, “I just can’t believe...We’re here. Alive and...and…”

“Married?” Lucina supplied when she realized Inigo wouldn’t be finishing his sentence. 

“Yes. And we’re home at last! I never thought I’d ever be so happy to see the barracks.” His chuckle vibrated in his chest, “How do you feel?”

Lucina pondered the thought. Her first thought was exhausted. A little sore in her core muscles and below her waist. Whether that was from the riding or the...other activities she and Inigo had indulged in at last now that they weren’t in the field...she couldn’t be sure. But under all those feelings came a pool of calm and warmth, right in her chest. 

“I’m happy. And content.”

“Good.” Inigo ducked his head to press a kiss to Lucina’s lips, sending a thrill from the tip of her head to her toes. His hands roamed more eagerly against her back, and he smiled into the kiss. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life.” he admitted before rising on his elbows to roll the two of them over. 

\--

“What do you think?”

“That I’m going to miss running my fingers through it…” Inigo mused, passing his fingers through the short strands of hair at Lucina’s neck, “And that Severa is going to have a fit when she realizes you’ve cut it all off.”

Lucina laughed at that, before pushing his hands away to continue saddling up her horse. It had been a long time coming-cutting her hair. It had always been the ‘Princess’ Lucina’s hair and she wasn’t that girl anymore. She was Marth again. Nothing more than a warrior with a legendary blade. She’d asked Lissa to cut it the morning before they set off to find her mother. 

“I match Morgan and Father now. Short hair.”  _ And Mother,  _ she added silently in her head. When she’d first seen herself in the looking glass she was struck by how similar she looked to her mother in with her locks cut to her jaw line. It was a sad feeling, but a good one too. 

“And me. Naga forbid I ever let it get longer than this-it will be unmanageable.” Inigo ran a hand through his own rebellious hair before grinning at his partner. “Shall he head off then?”

Lucina smiled, mounting her horse. 

“Yes. Let’s.”

\--

Lucina couldn’t quantify the way her life was lived as she searched for her mother with Inigo. Not with only one word, at least. It was heartening to know that Risen were nearly a thing of the past, and that her attention could focus on defending Ylisse from human problems. It was relaxing to ride along the countryside without feeling the need to ride hard to meet some far off goal. 

It was the best thing in the world to watch her husband dance in the many taverns they went through, bringing laughter and smiles into the healing world. His confidence grew with each coin dropped in his purse at the end of the night, and his smiles were contagious. Lucina couldn’t remember the last time she felt so at home.

Innkeepers are always open for a young couple of mercenaries. Particularly ones with Shepherd pedigrees. They were never at a want for charity. And secretly Lucina thrilled over being fussed over for being a young married couple more than being a member of the royal family. 

Six months into the search Lucina realized that her birthday had come and gone without any fanfare. She woke to a small smattering of flowers on the pillow next to her, and it had taken her a moment to remember what the occasion was. Inigo had already left to get them breakfast by the time she woke up to see the gift. 

When he returned with the food, including a fruit pastry just for her, she smiled at him. 

“I had forgotten the date.”

“I haven’t. Hard to forget the day the most important person in your life was born.” Inigo quipped, “It also helps that your father made a proclamation for the Princess Lucina’s 4th birthday. As well as an announcement that the Shepherds would be celebrating the birthday of a dear friend before returning to the field to search for the Queen. I wonder who that could be... ” 

Lucina giggled at that, biting into her pastry, relishing the berry flavor that coated her tongue. She shook her head, “I have no idea. Though I imagine that’s the version of the proclamation that Frederick edited, Father likely came right out to wish his time traveling daughter a happy birthday in the original.”

Inigo laughed at that, doubling over before settling to the bed to eat his own breakfast. “I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of money to buy you a fancy gift but...if there anything you want today, I’ll do my best to get it for you.”

Lucina pondered the offer as she ate. The back of her mind threw out for Robin to be found, but she quickly dismissed the request. Falchion was sharp as ever, so there was no need to get a new sword. All of her equipment was in fine shape. She looked at the young man smiling at her, and down at the pastry.

“Maybe another one of these for the road and some chocolates.”

Inigo’s laughter was surprised and happy. 

“As you wish, my lady.”

\--

They rode harder than they ought to have the night that news was sent that the Queen has been found safe at last. Inigo hadn’t even questioned her when she made her way back to the stables in a rush. He’d only followed behind with their saddlebags and cloaks with an indulgent smile.

Their horses thundered up through the castle courtyard, startling the guards into attention. Already Frederick was in the courtyard to meet them and take their horses, a smile on his face. Lucina spared a glance behind her to see Inigo holding the reins for their horses. He nodded to her, a wide smile on his face.

“Go on ahead, love.”

She sent him a grateful glance before breaking into a run towards the Royal Family’s private quarters. The hallways were lined with Shepherds, all welcoming Lucina back with surprised exclamations. She hardly heard them, her focus only on the grand door at the end of the tall staircase. 

She burst through it-holding her breath as she searched the room-

“Oh,  _ Lucina _ .”

Lucina felt her heart clench at the sound of that tired voice, and her eyes began to overfill with tears, blurring the figure of her mother. She felt herself stumble into her mother’s arms and allowed herself to be cradled there.

“Mother I-” Lucina couldn’t make her throat work right, and only a sob came out after the attempt to communicate just how much she had missed her. She felt her mother’s hand reach back and stroke the back of her head and the other rub circles around her back. 

“Sorry it took so long to come back, sweetheart.” Robin whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Lucina’s head, “I’m home now.”

\--

“I still can’t believe you cut your hair,” Robin mused as the two of them sat together in the castle garden. Her smile was wry as she took a few strands in her fingers, “You were always so proud of it.”

Lucina shrugged, running her own fingers through her hair. “It was time for a change. After everything that happened…” she paused and looked out at Inigo, who was being chased by her younger self. She smiled. “I wanted to start over. Like I did when I came to this world.”

Robin laughed, and shook her head. “Of course. I had almost forgotten your first hairstyle. When you were Marth.”

“Well, I’m Marth here. I’m Marth to her.” Lucina gestured to her younger self, who had finally overtaken Inigo and tackled him to the ground. He laid there indulgently as she stepped over his back and crowed out her victory. She had to stifle her laughter at the sight. Robin had no qualms about laughing though, her laughter rang through the garden freely.

“You’ll always be Lucina to me and the rest of this family. Maybe someday, when she’s older, we can explain that her big sister is actually herself.” Robin heaved a sigh, leaning back in her chair, “But I’d rather she enjoy her childhood without worries.”

“So would I.” Lucina agreed, watching and Inigo tossed the small girl in the air and caught her again. Her heart clenched at the sight-at how easily he was able to captivate the small girl. How effortless he fell into being a caretaker. 

“Oh Lucina, I wish we could have given you this.” Robin whispered, her voice strained, “I wanted the world for you and I...I’m still sorry.”

“Don’t be. I grew up surrounded by love.” Lucina shook her head, “I had no shortage of people who cared for me. I found comfort from my friends. From our comrades,” Her eyes trailed over Inigo, a small smile on her lips, “From Inigo.”

Robin looked like she wanted to protest, but Lucina shook her head. 

“I fought for this future, Mother. I want the Lucina of this world to be happy and carefree.” She looked down at her mother’s stomach, the beginning curves of a new life there, “And for Morgan, when he comes along.”

A surprised bubble of laughter erupted from Robin’s mouth at that. “It figures that you would have an interest in Morgan. Naga knows he’s been giddy with glee from the moment we let him know.”

“He makes a fine big brother to little Lucina,” Lucina agreed, “I’m sure he’s going to smother his younger self in more affection than he can stand.”

“What’s this about too much affection?” Both nobles turned towards Inigo, who was ambling over with the young princess being held by her feet over his shoulders. The young girl was squealing with glee, and her captor had a wide grin on his face. “So far as I know there’s no such thing.”

Robin tilted her head at the young man and hummed, “I thought that you were watching my little girl, Inigo. But I don’t see her anywhere. You haven’t misplaced her, have you?”

Lucina had to smother her laughter again at Inigo’s false shock.

“What? I’ve not lost the princess! She’s right behind me!” He exclaimed, turning on his heel, sending the young girl turning in an arc out from his back. “What?! She’s gone! But she was right there!” He turned back on his heels again and gulped, “I’m afraid I may have really lost her, Your Majesty.”

The little Lucina’s giggles could be heard by all of them, though they all feigned ignorance.

“I must say I’m very disappointed in you,” Robin answered, in a mock arch voice, “You understand you’ll lose your knighthood, Sir Inigo.”

Inigo gasped theatrically, “Milady-please reconsider!”

“Mama! I’m back here! I’m back here! Please don’t hurt Inigo!”

Inigo gasped again, this time hauling the small princess up on his shoulders in a smooth motion. “There you are, Your Highness! We were worried sick!”

Lucina rose to help her smaller self off Inigo’s shoulders, resting the young girl on her hip easily. “Now where had you gone off to, mm?” she questioned. 

“Inigo was letting me ride him!” Lucina turned towards Robin now, eyes pleading, “Can he stay here with me, Mama?”

Inigo chuckled, ruffling the young girl’s hair, “I’m afraid I cannot, Your Highness. I’ve been called away for an important mission.” He sent Lucina a sly grin, “But you aren’t the first in your family to beg for me to stay by their side.”

Lucina rolled her eyes and she handed herself off to her mother, who settled the young girl on her knees expertly. “Don’t listen to him, Lucina. He’s being foolish.”

“But he’s so nice! Marth, how come he gets to go with you?” The little girl pouted and Lucina heard Inigo snicker behind her. 

“Because I married him. So he has to stay by my side.”

“That’s not fair! You got to him first!”

“Now now, Marth and Inigo have been through a lot, little miss,” Robin scolded lightly, placing Lucina back to the ground and standing, “And it’s time for your lessons. Say goodbye and thank you.”

“Thank you Inigo for playing with me! Bye bye!” Lucina called as she was lightly pulling back into the castle. It was a couple of moments before Inigo burst out laughing.

“You’re so  _ pushy! _ I had forgotten how stubborn you were as a kid.” He laughed, doubled over. He rose and pecked a kiss to Lucina’s cheek, “It’s cute how jealous you are of yourself.”

“She’s four. You’re a pretty face who is willing to play with her. Of course she’s interested in you. I wanted to marry Stahl when I was four because he was willing to play with me.”

“Fair. But you must see the humor in it.” Inigo conceded, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze. “It’s been so long since we’ve been here. Six months since the last visit yes? When your mother came back.”

Lucina nodded, starting to stroll through the garden. “We stayed a month and then headed out again. And now this summons...are you sure?” Lucina frowned, “This Anankos man...he waited for us to come to propose his plans and then left us with only a map and directions. I’m not sure how credible he sounds.”

“Says the time traveling princess.” Inigo countered. He tilted his head in acknowledgement though, “I will admit it is a little far fetched. But if he needs our help saving his country. His world? It would be hypocritical of us to say no, wouldn’t it?”

“It would. But I don’t like the idea of you, Owain, and Severa going alone. I want to come along.”

“It’s too risky and you know it. We already went over this with your mother,” Inigo shook his head, “You need to stay here for the Shepherds. Frederick needs to train a second, and I know you want to do it.” Inigo’s shoulders slumped a little, “I don’t like the idea of being away from you for so long but…”

“Duty of the Shepherds calls. I know.” Lucina finished his thought, squeezing his hand tightly, “I just wish...it didn’t have to be right now. When we could finally do what we wished. In peace.”

Inigo pulled her into a hug, “I promise I’ll speed us along as quickly as possible. No long monologues for Owain, or shopping trips for Severa.”

“I know. Just-be safe. I don’t want to lose you somewhere I can’t go save you.” Lucina muttered bitterly into his chest, pulling him ever closer. “I love you too much to say goodbye forever.”

“Not goodbye. Just until we meet again.” Inigo corrected, pulling again to drop a kiss to Lucina’s lips, “I love you. I promise I’ll return as soon as the wind gets me back to you.”

\--

The Princess Lucina’s seventh birthday party was full of all the pomp and circumstances it was due. It was also full of shrieking children running about the garden in glee. The young princess herself had already gotten grass stains on her white sun dress, and kicked her shoes far away. It was only a matter of time before her hair tangled from all the activity. But was was having fun, and that was all that mattered in the end. 

Her older self and her parents stood off to the side with some of the other parents. Lucina glanced at her mother and father and saw the same content smiles on their faces as they watched the children play. Peace was a wonderful thing. Her father turned to her, and his smile widened to a grin. 

“Glad you could make it to your own party, Lucina.” His arms were around his in an instant, crushing her in a hug. 

“Father please,” Lucina muttered, her face flushing red, “People will suppose.”

“That it is just as likely that the Shepherd Marth has the same birthday as Lucina?” Robin mused, placing a hand on Chrom’s shoulder, a message to loosen his hold. 

“I-It’s not proper that’s all. Not with half the court here today.” Lucina whispered, her eyes darting to the group of nobles in the shade who all bore the air of never having been in battle before. They wouldn’t understand it. Not at all. 

Robin rolled her eyes, frowning, “What’s not proper is you not being able to celebrate your birthday. I know you’re an adult but isn’t it alright for your parents to spoil you every now and again?” She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lucina felt the flush on her cheeks grow, and she averted her eyes. As usual she was left without a response. She never expected so much from her parents. It was always so overwhelming. “I...I suppose it isn’t bad.”

“No. It’s quite good in fact. Particularly since you’ve just returned from such a long mission.” Robin motioned for her daughter to sit next to her on the steps that led inside, and tilted her head to encourage Chrom to join the children elsewhere. “There’s no sign of them in Plegia?”

Lucina’s heart sank at the thought of her futile search with Cynthia and Gerome for her missing friends. Her hand instantly went to the ring kept on her left hand, twisting it. She heaved a sigh.

“None at all. No one has seen them in years. There trail leaves off somewhere near Naga’s tree.” She frowned, furrowing her brow, “It makes no sense. Someone should have  _ seen _ where they went. Or heard of this Anankos man. But it’s as if they were never even here.”

Lucina’s heart clenched at the thought of never seeing Inigo again. She brought his gentle smile to mind as he bid her goodbye, kissing her softly before riding off with Owain and Severa. How a mission that shouldn’t have taken more than a few months stretched on to be two and a half years of worry and no answers. 

“It’s possible they’ve entered a Outrealm,” Robin mused, her brow also furrowing, “Or a Deeprealm. I’ve heard of such places that a day passes in the time it takes us to experience a year-or vise versa. But the books on those subjects are very vague.”

“If only Anna hadn’t taken off so quickly. We could ask her siblings for help.” Lucina grumbled bitterly. 

“Things take time. Wars are long. There could be any number of reasons they are delayed. But I understand your frustration. I hated waiting for your father to return from missions when I was stuck here. It happened when I was carrying you, and when I was carrying Morgan.” Robin reached out and laid a hand against Lucina’s back, rubbing comforting circles there. 

Almost as if their name had summoned them, the older Morgan came charging in with the younger girl Morgan riding triumphantly on his shoulders. 

“It’s still amusing to think that some things like this can change. Morgan was heartbroken to realise he was only going to have female siblings.” Lucina offered, a small smile creeping to her face a she watched her siblings run around.

Robin laughed, “Not a disappointed as Chrom, who had already commissioned a small blade for him. Well, it all works out. It’s shaping up that Morgan is going to be a fighter this time around, and you are more of a bookworm than I imagined. I’ve found her and Morgan asleep on each other in the library more times than I can count.”

Lucina looked out at her younger self, leading a group of her fellows in a clump to knock over her father. The changes between them weren’t too great that she felt like she didn’t know the little girl, but they were good. She had learned the sword at her father’s knee because war was all around her and it was the only way she and her father could bond during the war times. She’d honed her skills to protect her family after everything went to hell. 

She was glad to hear that she had no need of those skills anymore. 

“I’ve also gotten word from Olivia and Henry that their two year old daughter is doing well,” Robin remarked her lips quirking up in a wry smile, “Olivia sends her love to you, and was wondering if you would want to meet your sister-in-law any time soon.” 

Lucina hummed, thinking of how she knew that Inigo would have been thrilled to hear about his little sister’s birth, and excited to spend time with her. She smiled, her eyes cast towards the flagstone, “I’m not sure how well I’d take it. I wouldn’t want to let Olivia down by letting her know I still haven’t found Inigo.”

“You can’t put all that weight on yourself Lucina, trust me. It only leads to pain.” Robin pulled her daughter closer, placing a hand under her chin to lock eyes with her daughter. “You could go on forever with the what ifs. And you know for a fact that’s the last thing that he would want you to do.”

Lucina felt her chin wobble a little as her eyes blinked rapidly to clear the tears forming there. She took in a weak breath and dropped her gaze again. Her words were nearly silent.

“I miss him.”

“I know, Lucina. I know.” Robin soothed, her fingers carding in Lucina’s hair to smooth it out. “I wish I could help. I wish-”

“Milady! One of the perimeter spells was set off! Someone entered the castle with a spell!”

Lucina and Robin stood in an instant, the tender moment having vanished in the face of business. Lucina’s hand went to Falchion’s hilt at her side instinctually.

“Where?”

“Near the old Shepherd barracks! There’s nothing there anymore though-I don’t understand why-”

Lucina didn’t bother to listen to any more, already bolting off towards her old haunt. With the wars over and Risen taken care of, the Shepherds experienced a boon of many young knights and volunteers to train and protect the innocent. They outgrew their barracks in the first year after the Queen was found and they had to be moved further off on the castle’s grounds. Only the old Shepherds still went to the small rooms to store their gear and chat about the war. 

To enter from there meant that they knew that it wouldn’t be occupied. They knew it was a weak point. 

Lucina drew Falchion as she rounded the corner and sprinted the final distance towards the barrack’s small training yard. There were four figures huddled there in dark cloaks, around what looked to be a blast radius from a spell. She steadied her sword in front of herself, adopting a wide stance. She narrowed her eyes and laid in wait behind the wall of one of the buildings.

“Father, I sense mystic energies at work here in the ether! Your homeland is incredible!” One of the figures spoke, her voice high as a flute, and excited. The other three figures grunted as they stood.

“So it worked? We’re home?” Another female voice questioned, and Lucina’s eyes widened. It’d changed a little, a bit more mature, and a little lower but it was definitely-

“Laslow-I don’t think we’re alone.” Came another, this one booming in it’s mock purpose, “Someone has sensed our presence and-”

“Can it, Odin! Let me see,” The last figure spoke and Lucina’s heart lurched in her chest. She nearly dropped her sword. Her feet numbly brought her around the corner and all four figures turned towards her. Hoods went down in an instant and Lucina was greeted to the faces of three of her oldest friends, and one new young girl. 

Her eyes focused on Inigo though, his hair a shade darker than she remembered, and longer to boot. His face held a few more years-as she was sure hers did-but it didn’t matter. He was back. He was  _ alive.  _

“Inigo?”

She barely trusted her voice. 

“Lucina.” Inigo’s voice was nearly a whisper, his eyes wide as they soaked up every bit of her they could. His face broke into the brightest smile she’d seen in years and he surged forward with a holler of joy.

Lucina couldn’t contain the sobbing laughter as Inigo literally swept her off her feet in a strong hug. His arms squeezed her tightly enough to hurt, but she didn’t care. The pressure was an ever present reminder that he was there. He was alive. He was home.

He placed her down and in an instant his hands were at her cheeks-his fingers rough with sword calluses and new scars. His eyes searched her face with such intensity she shivered. She watched as he gulped, his eyes tearing up as his smile broke with a watery laugh. He ducked his head, his fingers shaking slightly against her face. She reached up and covered them with her own hands, squeezing them gently. 

“You’re real. Gods. It’s been so long-you have no idea how long it’s been Lucina- _ Gods. _ ”

Inigo’s voice was weak, struggling to work through the tears streaming down his face. Lucina sniffed, pulling him back into a fierce hug, her heart healing in bits and pieces as he cried against her. 

“I was so worried you were never coming back. You just vanished-I thought the worst-I…” Lucina trailed off, and shook her head, “I’m so happy you’re alive.”

Inigo gave a short bark of laughter, pulling back from Lucina’s embrace just enough to kiss her. 

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” His grin was infectious and Lucina found herself grinning as she pulled him down for another kiss-this one far harder.

“Ugh, could you two get a room?”

Inigo was the first to pull back at the sound of Severa’s groan of displeasure. He shot her a dirty look, and frowned. 

“Well I’m sorry it’s the first time I’ve seen my wife in almost 10 years! Unlike you, who got to get  _ remarried _ , some of us haven’t been so fortunate.” Inigo groused, meeting Severa’s unamused gaze head on. 

Lucina blinked wildly at the numbers. They certainly didn’t look 10 years older. To her eyes, Inigo had only aged the almost three years he’d been gone. His eyes were tired though. A quick glance at her childhood friends placed them in the same age range. The fourth stranger looking to be barely a teenager though, and she had been blinking owlishly at Lucina ever since she had appeared. 

“10 years? You’ve only been gone for 2 and a half years, Inigo.”

“Time moves differently in the Deeprealms,” Severa explained, “The world we were in…We’ve been there 10 years. Guess Anankos kept his promise after all-We’re back in as close an amount of time as we could get.” She stepped forward, flicking her twin tails behind her, “Could have chosen a better landing spot though. I’ve got dirt all over my new boots-These were a parting gift from Lady Camilla!”

Lucina pulled away from Inigo’s arms and smiled at her old friend. “It’s good to have you back Severa. And you too, Owain. Aunt Lissa and Cordelia are going to be thrilled to hear you’re back.”

Owain puffed in happiness, his grin broad as he came forward to hug Lucina. “It is wonderful to reunite with you as well, Exalted cousin! It has been far too long.”

“It’s been forever since I’ve heard our names. I’d almost forgotten they were still ours.” Inigo muttered, putting a hand on the stranger’s shoulder, “I imagine Ophelia is a little lost, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Father always said he had come from an incredible place-He and mother always seemed to heroic to be of Nohr.” The girl answered, nodding, “But these names…Sir Laslow, who is this? And why does she refer to you as Inigo?”

Owain let Lucina go to stand next to the young girl and gestured to the young girl with a flourish. “Dearest cousin, I would like to present the next chosen hero in our line, the one and only Ophelia Dusk!”

Severa rolled her eyes at her husband and pushed him aside, “Ugh. Ignore that. Ophelia, this is Lucina, one of our comrades from this world. She’s fought many battles at our side. She’s also your father’s cousin. Lucina, this is mine and Owain’s daughter, Ophelia.”

Lucina felt her throat go dry as she looked at the redheaded child. She gulped. “Your…daughter?”

“Deeprealms love, they’re the strangest things,” Inigo brushed off, “Odi-Owain, Severa, Ophelia, you guys go on ahead and tell the Exalt and the Queen that we’ve returned. I’ll catch up soon enough.”

Lucina watched as Severa, Owain and Inigo shared a long look before the couple ushered their daughter away. Inigo watched them go before his shoulders slumped in relief. He turned back to face Lucina fully and his smile was weak as he took Lucina’s hands in his own. 

“I was hoping you’d hadn’t left me behind while I was gone,” he whispered, his voice strained, “10 years is a long time to pretend that you don’t have a wife you miss more than life itself.” He shook his head, “It was a long time to let myself doubt whether you were going to be there when I got back.”

Lucina’s gut churned as Inigo spoke, and she knocked her forehead against Inigo’s collarbone, breathing in his scent deeply. It was different than it used to be. Muskier and wetter than it had been-as if he’d spent a great deal of time in the rain. Underneath that was the familiar scent of steel and leather she knew so well. She felt his breath hitch in his chest. 

“You’re the sword at my side, Inigo. You never really left.”

She could feel the tears coming before they fell, as his hands came to rest at her hips. She rose her head to look at his tear stained face, and stood on her toes to close the distance and press her lips to his. He hungrily returned the kiss, pulling her closer to him. Lucina poured every bit of love she could into the kiss, and her heart soared as Inigo matched it and seemed to overcome her in emotion.

When they finally broke apart it was so Lucina could step back and take one of Inigo’s hands in her own and place her other on his shoulder. She gave him a small smile, and watched as comprehension dawned on his face. She tilted her head and her smile grew a little. 

“Dance with me?”

Inigo chuckled, blinking to clear his tears away. When he looked at Lucina again, with his lazy and crooked smile she felt like she had come home.

“As my lady wishes it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been an adventure. It's taken a lot longer than I wanted, but you can blame FE:Fates for that! I had to change how the story would end for this fic thanks to it. But the changes ended up working in my favor. It was a bit of a pain to have to go through ALL of the DLC explaining where the Awakening Trio had gone and the way that particular magic worked. 
> 
> It was unclear how long they spent in Nohr-but one of Selena's lines was her complaining about how she had been watching over Corrin since she was a kid and that they didn't recognize her. So It had to be a while. So 10 years it became. But since their sprites don't change I'm assuming that Anankos' magic is keeping them young enough to go back to Ylisse and only look like they've aged a couple of years. 
> 
> I wasn't sure how to approach the hair color problem of the kids though. With Inigo it wasn't a problem because his hair only changed a couple of shades-but my Severa and Owain had brown and black hair respectively. Whoops. But that's issue for another fic entirely. (Sort of like the Inigo/Laslow piece I'm writing to go into how he felt while he was stuck in Nohr.)
> 
> In any case, thank you so much for sticking with this fic, even through the dry spells and inconsistent updates. You guys are great. (And so are kudos and comments but yeah)


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